Palestinian President Prays for Soul of "Martyr" Ismail Haniyeh in Speech before Turkish Parliament

On August 15, 2024, Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas delivered an address before the Turkish parliament. In his address, Abbas criticized the United States, which he referred to as "the plague," for having used its veto power in the UN Security Council on several occasions in favor of continuing the Israeli "aggression" in Gaza. He also declared that he has decided to visit the Gaza Strip with the other members of the PA leadership, promising to do everything he can to stop Israel's "barbaric aggression," even if it costs him his life. He said: "We adhere to shari'a law: Victory or martyrdom." He called on the UN Security Council to secure his access to the Gaza Strip, adding: "Our next destination after the Gaza Strip will be Holy Jerusalem, Allah willing." Abbas said that Israel is waging a war of "genocide and ethnic cleansing" against the Palestinian people in Gaza, the West Bank, and Jerusalem. He said that the suspected Israeli assassination of the "martyr" Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran was a "crime," and he prayed for Haniyeh's soul. He praised recent actions taken by Turkey against Israel, and on the subject of the "day after" in Gaza, he emphasized that Gaza, the West Bank, and Jerusalem all constitute one independent Palestinian state and that the only legitimate government of this state is the Palestinian Authority. The address was aired on TRT Arabic TV (Turkey).