Palestine President urges Hamas to lay down arms – Middle East Monitor

Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, called on Hamas on Wednesday to lay down arms and hand the running of Gaza to his Palestinian Authority, part of efforts to answer international doubts over the Authority’s role at a key moment for the region, Reuters reports.

Abbas was speaking at a leadership council where he is expected this week to name a successor, amid pressure from Western and Arab powers concerned about the PA’s ability to play a viable-long term…