Mahmoud Abbas. Photo: World Economic Forum.

A former Hamas spokesperson claimed Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas privately admitted to the Gaza-based terrorist group that he lies in his public statements in order to “trick the Americans,” Palestinian Media Watch reported on Sunday.

“You know what Mahmoud Abbas says behind closed doors?? He says: ‘Guys, let me [continue] saying what I say to the media. Those words are meant for the Americans and the occupation (i.e., Israel), not for you [Hamas]. What’s important is what we agree on among ourselves,” Ihab al-Ghussein, whose official role ended with advent of the recently established unity government with Fatah, posted on Facebook.

He wrote that Abbas also said, “In other words, when I go out [publicly] and say that the government is my [Abbas] government and it recognizes ‘Israel’ and so on, fine – these words are meant to trick the Americans.”

Al-Ghussein added that Abbas similarly told the terror group in 2006, “Don’t harp on everything I tell the media, forget about the statements in the media,” according to Palestinian Media Watch.

Al-Ghussein also mocked those who trust Abbas and his Fatah party’s stated wish to reconcile with Hamas.

“The problem really isn’t with him [Abbas], the problem is with whoever believes him. Ha, Ha, Ha!” he wrote. “(I really do want real reconciliation, meaning partnership and achieving unity, but not reconciliation as Abbas means it).”