Mansour Abbas, Leader of the Arab Coalition in Israel, Calls for Immediate Ceasefire

Mansour Abbas, the leader of the Arab coalition in Israel, condemned the 'crimes of Hamas' and the 'killing of innocents in Gaza' during a press conference and called for an immediate ceasefire. According to Arash Sigarachi, a Voice of America reporter present at the conference, Mansour Abbas described the war between Israel and Hamas as 'a golden opportunity for Arab Israelis and Palestinians to reach a final and complete agreement.' He stated, 'Our role as Arab Israelis is now of great importance. We can be a bridge for peace between the two nations.' He added, 'I condemn the crime of killing 1,400 Israelis, including 22 Arab Israelis, on October 7.' While requesting more aid to Gaza, he emphasized, 'We demand an immediate ceasefire. We demand the immediate release of hostages - including children, women, and the elderly - by Hamas.' The 49-year-old leader of the Arab minority in Israel and head of the 'United Arab List' called for the immediate start of negotiations for permanent peace in the region. Mansour Abbas, a dentist, helped form a coalition government after Netanyahu. At that time, he had told his supporters that his goal in joining the government was to change the balance of political power in the country and to do 'great things' for the Arab community. Hamas militants, supported by the Islamic Republic of Iran, killed at least 1,400 people, most of whom were civilians, in several terrorist attacks on Israeli soil on October 7. This militant group also took more than 200 people hostage during these attacks. The United States, Japan, and the European Union are among the countries that have designated Hamas as a terrorist organization.