Abbas Says There's ‘Complete Stalemate’ in Peace Process

President Mahmoud Abbas and his Cypriot counterpart Nicos Anastasiades in Nicosia on Tuesday (AFP)
President Mahmoud Abbas and his Cypriot counterpart Nicos Anastasiades in Nicosia on Tuesday (AFP)
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Abbas Says There's ‘Complete Stalemate’ in Peace Process

President Mahmoud Abbas and his Cypriot counterpart Nicos Anastasiades in Nicosia on Tuesday (AFP)
President Mahmoud Abbas and his Cypriot counterpart Nicos Anastasiades in Nicosia on Tuesday (AFP)

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas renewed his warning on Tuesday of taking the necessary legal measures to protect the interests of the Palestinian people and put an end to the Israeli occupation’s crimes, which have reached an unacceptable level.

“The current situation cannot be tolerated in light of the absence of a political horizon and international protection for the Palestinian people,” he said during a press conference with Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades at the presidential palace in Nicosia.

Abbas said he informed his counterpart of the complete stalemate in efforts to reach a peaceful settlement to the Palestinian problem because the current government of Israel has suspended all agreements.

He stressed that the Palestinian leadership will continue contacts to mobilize international support to confront these dangerous challenges and to take deterrent measures to ensure an end to double standards.

At the same time, the Palestinian President said the leadership is ready to engage in any peace efforts and initiatives based on UN resolutions, leading to the establishment of peace, security, and stability for everyone in the region, and an end to the Israeli occupation of the state of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Abbas arrived in the Cypriot capital, Nicosia, on Monday on a three-day official visit upon the invitation of his Cypriot counterpart.

He met with a number of Arab ambassadors, to whom he explained the latest developments related to the Palestinian cause, and the ongoing Israeli attacks and crimes against the people, especially in Jerusalem, Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the Islamic and Christian holy sites.

Abbas also briefed the Arab diplomats on ongoing contacts and efforts to revive the peace process.

During his trip, Abbas also signed with the Cypriot side bilateral cooperation agreements in the field of diplomatic training, exchange of information on education programs, and the exchange of academics at conferences on topics of common interest.



Gaza Rescuers Say Israeli Fire Kills 8 Near Aid Centers, 4 Others

19 June 2025, Palestinian Territories, Gaza: Palestinians gather along the Coastal Road in the Al-Sudaniyya area of northern Gaza as they wait for humanitarian aid expected to arrive through the Zikim crossing on 19 June 2025. (dpa)
19 June 2025, Palestinian Territories, Gaza: Palestinians gather along the Coastal Road in the Al-Sudaniyya area of northern Gaza as they wait for humanitarian aid expected to arrive through the Zikim crossing on 19 June 2025. (dpa)
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Gaza Rescuers Say Israeli Fire Kills 8 Near Aid Centers, 4 Others

19 June 2025, Palestinian Territories, Gaza: Palestinians gather along the Coastal Road in the Al-Sudaniyya area of northern Gaza as they wait for humanitarian aid expected to arrive through the Zikim crossing on 19 June 2025. (dpa)
19 June 2025, Palestinian Territories, Gaza: Palestinians gather along the Coastal Road in the Al-Sudaniyya area of northern Gaza as they wait for humanitarian aid expected to arrive through the Zikim crossing on 19 June 2025. (dpa)

Gaza's civil defense agency said Israeli fire killed at least 12 people on Saturday, including eight who had gathered near aid distribution sites in the Palestinian territory suffering severe food shortages.

Civil defense spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that three people were killed by gunfire from Israeli forces while waiting to collect aid in the southern Gaza Strip.

In a separate incident, Bassal said five people were killed in a central area known as the Netzarim corridor, where thousands of Palestinians have gathered daily in the hope of receiving food rations.

The Israeli army told AFP it was "looking into" both incidents, which according to the civil defense agency occurred near distribution centers run by the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

Its operations began at the end of May when Israel eased a total aid blockade that lasted more than two months but have been marred by chaotic scenes and neutrality concerns.

UN agencies and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the foundation over concerns it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives.

The health ministry in the Hamas-run territory said on Saturday that 450 people had been killed and 3,466 others injured while seeking aid in near-daily incidents since late May.

The Israeli blockade imposed in early March amid an impasse in truce negotiations had produced famine-like conditions across Gaza, according to rights groups.

Israel's military has pressed its operations across Gaza more than 20 months since an unprecedented Hamas attack triggered the devastating war, and even as attention has shifted to the war with Iran since June 13.

Bassal told AFP that three people were killed on Saturday in an Israeli air strike on Gaza City in the north, and one more in another strike on the southern city of Khan Younis.

Israeli forces also demolished more than 10 houses in Gaza City "by detonating them with explosives", he added.

Israeli restrictions on media in the Gaza Strip and difficulties in accessing some areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by rescuers and authorities.

Earlier this week, the UN's World Health Organization warned that Gaza's health system was at a "breaking point", pleading for fuel to be allowed into the territory to keep its remaining hospitals running.

The Hamas attack in October 2023 that sparked the war resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

Israel's retaliatory military campaign has killed at least 55,908 people, also mostly civilians, according to the Gaza health ministry. The UN considers these figures reliable.