Huda Ghalia, who lost her parents and five of her brothers and sisters in a Gaza blast Friday, met Saturday evening with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at his office, along with several other family members.
(צילום: איי אף פי)
Huda standing over her father's body after blast (Photo: AFP)
"This child is my daughter and the daughter of the Palestinian people. Those who killed her family do not want peace," Abbas said at the conclusion pf the meeting.
"Huda lost her parents for Palestine. Her dead relatives are Allah's shahids (martyrs) that died for the liberation of Palestine," Abbas said during his meeting with the Ghalia family.
The leader stated that those who committed these crimes are not interested in peace, and that "peace and security are not obtained through these barbaric actions. They will only be obtained through recognition of the Palestinian people's right to establish an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with Jerusalem as its capital."
"Those who killed this Palestinian family on the beach killed humanity itself, and undermined the values and honor of humanity," he added.
Abbas, Haniyeh discuss referendum
During the evening, Abbas also met with Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh to update the Hamas leader on his decision to hold a referendum in the Palestinian Authority over the prisoners' document on July 26. Prior to the meeting, the president said that "the referendum is not the end of story in terms of the intra-Palestinian dialogue. The referendum allows for 50 days of talks, and we shall continue to hold negotiations until then."
Hamas officials blasted Saturday Abbas' announcement on a referendum. The group's Spokesman Mushir al-Masri called it a "declaration of a coup against the government", and urged Palestinians to boycott the vote.
Another Hamas senior member, Adnan Asur, stated that the dialogue and the referendum cannot go hand in hand, and that his movement will employ every legal mean to fight the vote that is "illegal and goes against PA legislation."
Meanwhile, Hamas members jailed in Israel announced they are withdrawing their support for the prisoners' document in wake of Abbas' declaration.
In a statement issued by the Hamas prisoners, they claim that the document should act as grounds for dialogue, not for a referendum that would divide the Palestinian people.