Senior Palestinian official Muhammad Dahlan on Thursday implicitly criticized the Hamas leadership, saying that "whoever built on the resistance axis in connection with the war in Gaza must think with himself and reexamine it. There are no winners in this war. The winner is not in the number of dead and wounded, but in how you get your people their daily needs and political dreams."
In an interview with the Arab channel Al-Mashhad, he said he was not surprised that Iran and its proxies "did not come to save Palestine," adding that "when it comes to the struggle against Israel, it is the Palestinian people who are fighting. I also don't speak out against Iran, which cares only about Iran, it doesn't want to liberate Jerusalem or the Palestinian people, and doesn't want to build a hospital or clinic in Palestine."
Documentation: Destruction of the tunnel route at Shifa Hospital // IDF Spokesperson
Dahlan announced that he did not want to serve as president of the Palestinian Authority on the day Mahmoud Abbas was no longer in office, stressing that he believed that a group of leaders should lead the Palestinian public. "The time of symbols ended already under Yasser Arafat, and the time of the rule of the individual ended in the era of Abu Mazen. Joint leadership must be built after this disaster. I think there needs to be a group leadership that understands its duties correctly and leads people from a state of fuda (anarchy) to a state of institutions," Dahlan said. "My position is that I'm not looking for power and I wasn't looking for it. I don't see myself in a position in the PA, neither today nor tomorrow. I will help, I will not shirk my responsibility. I'm a Palestinian and I have experience, but for me to work as a clerk for someone – this thing is over. My understanding of the presidency is different. A president is a servant of the people."
Criticism of Mahmoud Abbas
Dahlan spoke out strongly against Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, calling the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah a disaster. "I worked with Abu Mazen for a short period of time and praise God he persecuted me and conspired against me, and I say thank you for that, because if it hadn't happened, I would be sitting today in this disaster called the Palestinian leadership," he said, adding, "Abu Mazen didn't feel that he wanted to be president in my presence."
It should be noted that in recent discussions between various parties, including representatives from Arab countries following the war in Gaza, Dahlan's name came up as someone who might play a role in the body that will manage Gaza's reconstruction. Alongside him came the names of three other senior Palestinian officials: Salam Fayyad, former Palestinian minister, Nasser al-Qadwa, former Palestinian foreign minister, and Marwan Barghouti, who is serving five life sentences in an Israeli prison for his involvement in terrorism.
During the war, Dahlan worked to bring in aid from Gaza, and took part in the UAE's effort to establish a field hospital for the benefit of the residents of the Gaza Strip. His ties with leaders, businessmen and influential figures in the Gulf principality grew stronger after he was expelled from Judea and Samaria by Mahmoud Abbas 13 years ago and ousted from the ranks of Fatah institutions.
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