In a statement issued on the occasion of Orthodox Easter, the president called for “a new beginning full of hope,” marked by peace in Palestine and the world.

“We will celebrate this cherished religious occasion, clinging to hope and our legitimate rights, despite the increasing Israeli violations, which include settlement expansion, settler terrorism, theft, land confiscation, and economic restrictions,” he stated.

He also criticized the siege of Jerusalem, especially the Muslim and Christian places of worship.

“Such attacks and violations will not change the historical and legal status of these temples in Jerusalem, and they will not be accepted by the Palestinian people or the world,” he emphasized.

Abbas demanded an end to the aggression against the Gaza Strip and that Israel “put an end to the suffering of the Palestinian people.”

He also advocated for the recovery and reconstruction phase in the coastal enclave, as well as “the unification of the two parts of the wounded homeland,” referring to the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

The president called on churches worldwide to support the legitimate rights of the Palestinians, including the creation of a sovereign and independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

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