Ramallah: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Thursday that Palestinians are facing a 'dangerous escalation' by the Israeli government and pressure aimed at weakening their ability to remain steadfast and pushing them toward emigration. His remarks came in a speech opening the first session of the Revolutionary Council of the Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fatah) published by the Palestinian news agency Wafa.

According to Anadolu Agency, Abbas stated that in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Palestinians are encountering an escalation by an extremist Israeli government. The escalation reportedly includes settlement expansion, occupier terrorism, confiscation of land and pastures, home demolitions, and the establishment of military checkpoints that disrupt economic and social life.

Abbas further claimed that Israel is withholding more than $6 billion in Palestinian funds, which he argues is part of a strategy to weaken the Palestinian people's resolve and push them towards emigration. On the Gaza Strip, he called for the 'immediate and full' implementation of the second phase of US President Donald Trump's plan, advocating for a ceasefire and full Israeli withdrawal.

The occupied West Bank has seen rising attacks by the Israeli army and occupiers since the onset of the genocide in the Gaza Strip in October 2023. Palestinian authorities have documented numerous violations, including killings, arrests, home demolitions, and forced displacement. The violence is said to be paving the way for the formal annexation of the West Bank, threatening the establishment of a Palestinian state under UN resolutions.

Beyond the West Bank, Israel's actions in Gaza since October 8, 2023, have allegedly resulted in the deaths of over 73,000 Palestinians and injuries to more than 174,000, predominantly affecting women and children, according to Palestinian authorities.