Abbas calls Hamas 'sons of dogs' and demands release of hostages

Palestinian Authority president says that Hamas has given Israel "excuses" to continue the Gaza war.

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The president of the Palestinian Authority told a meeting in the occupied West Bank that Hamas had given Israel "excuses" to continue its attacks on Gaza, and told it to "release the hostages and be done with it".

The remarks were the strongest against the group that the president has delivered since the war began 18 months ago.

A Hamas official condemned what he called Abbas's "derogatory language" towards "a significant proportion... of his own people".

Last week, the group rejected an Israeli proposal for a new ceasefire in Gaza, which included a demand to disarm in return for a six-week pause in hostilities and the release of 10 of the 59 remaining hostages.