"Abbas Condemns Hamas and Israel's Actions in Call with Venezuelan Leader"

The Palestinian Authority's official news agency, WAFA, initially published comments by President Mahmoud Abbas criticizing Hamas over its actions but later removed the reference to the militant group without explanation. The comments came during a phone call between Abbas and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, discussing Israel's bombardment of Gaza following Hamas' deadly rampage through Israeli cities. The original report included Abbas stressing that Hamas' policies and actions do not represent the Palestinian people, but the phrase was later adjusted to remove the reference to Hamas. It remains unclear why the change was made, and there has been no comment from Abbas' office or WAFA. Abbas, who heads the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization, has long been opposed to Hamas, which seized control of Gaza in 2007.