The Palestinian Authority flag. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

JNS.org – Stepping up rhetoric against its rival, the Palestinian Authority (PA) issued a statement on Wednesday describing the 10th anniversary of Hamas’s takeover of the Gaza Strip as ushering in “the second Nakba that struck our people.” More commonly, the Arab world describes Israel’s victory in the 1948 War of Independence as the “Nakba,” meaning “catastrophe.”

The PA said Hamas, which violently ousted the PA from Gaza in June 2007, has “turned the Gaza Strip into an intolerable hell.” The statement comes amid deteriorating ties between the Palestinian factions.

Earlier this week, PA President Mahmoud Abbas announced a reduction in payments to Israel for electricity the Jewish state provides to Gaza. In April, the PA slashed the salaries of its Gaza-based employees. The moves appear to represent an attempt at pressuring Hamas to allow the PA to regain control over the coastal territory.