Dozens of Palestinians, supporters of a group that is close to Hamas, rallied in Gaza City on Wednesday to protest against Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who recently gave a speech in which he threatened to impose additional financial sanctions against Gaza's rulers.
Activists of al-Ahrar movement, established after Hamas took over Gaza in 2007, burnt an effigy of the Palestinian leader and held posters reading "Abbas does not represent me."
"Because we think that the latest speech by Mahmoud Abbas has caused big damage, we say that we have to, as Palestinians, look to the phase that will come after Mahmoud Abbas. We believe that Abbas has become the main problem for achieving the national reconciliation and achieving the national unity," said Khaled Abu Helal, secretary general of al-Ahrar movement.
Abbas, speaking at a Palestinian leadership gathering on Monday, blamed Hamas for a bomb attack last week on the convoy of Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah in Gaza, remarks that threatened reconciliation efforts with the Islamist terrorist group.
Abbas said Hamas would have to give up control of the Gaza Strip or risk taking full responsibility for the enclave and its two million residents without any help from his Western-backed Palestinian Authority.
Hamas called his comments irresponsible and said they aimed to "burn bridges and reinforce divisions." The group has previously denied involvement in the bombing.
Fatah and Hamas have tried for years to come to an accommodation over running the Gaza Strip, but have repeatedly failed to implement deals mainly brokered by Egypt.
