ABBAS CONDEMNS GAZA ROCKETS; PURSUES DEAL WITH HAMAS

Abbas: militias brought us 'death' (JPost)
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has launched a scathing attack on armed groups that are firing rockets from the Gaza Strip, saying Wednesday they were responsible for bringing death and destruction to the Palestinians.

Addressing thousands of demonstrators outside his office in Ramallah, Abbas said, "So far we have about 250 martyrs in the Gaza Strip and thousands of wounded people and destroyed houses. Why? What are the reasons for this? Let's start searching for the reason for all this."

Abbas was referring to the number of Palestinians who have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the kidnapping of Cpl. Gilad Shalit in June. His comments, which were interpreted as criticism of Hamas and its government, came hours before Abbas headed to the Strip for talks with PA Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh on forming a national-unity government.

Abbas described the rockets that are being fired into Israel as "pipes" that provided Israel with an excuse to carry out military operations in the Gaza Strip. "Our people don't deserve these tragedies," he said. "If these pipes provide an excuse, it's time to stop using them."

Last week, Abbas's Fatah party, after three days of discussions in Jordan, authorized him to open negotiations with Hamas and other Palestinian factions. It's not clear how long Abbas will stay in Gaza, but one of his aides told The Jerusalem Post that he was "very serious" about striking a deal with Hamas as soon as possible.