Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has blamed political rival Hamas for another failed reconciliation attempt. Abbas made the remarks Tuesday, during a rally marking the fourth anniversary of the death of predecessor Yasser Arafat.
Over the weekend, Hamas pulled out of planned reconciliation talks at the last minute. It demanded that Abbas first free Hamas prisoners in the West Bank.
According to the AP, Abbas told thousands during an Arafat memorial rally that Hamas is "divisive and unpatriotic." He called on Arab nations to hold Hamas responsible for the latest failure. "They missed this opportunity and I am talking of the Hamas leadership here," he made it clear.
According to AFP, Abbas also accused Hamas of blocking any commemorative events for Arafat in the Gaza Strip "under the threat of armed force".
