Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas’s Fatah movement has called on its rivals Hamas to relinquish power in order to safeguard the “existence” of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, AFP reports.

“Hamas must show compassion for Gaza, its children, women and men,” Fatah spokesman Monther al-Hayek said in a message sent to AFP from Gaza. He called on Hamas to “step aside from governing and fully recognise that the battle ahead will lead to the end of Palestinians’ existence” if it remains in power in Gaza.

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