The control of the Gaza Strip must be returned to the legitimate Palestinian Authority and Israel’s plans to temporarily retain it are unacceptable, the Palestinian Authority president stressed Mahmoud Abbas during an interview he gave to the Russian news agency RIA and was broadcast today.

“Gaza it must be governed under the auspices of the OAP (of the Palestine Liberation Organization) and the legitimate Palestinian government. We strongly oppose Israeli plans for interim solutions.” he added.

Mr Abbas told RIA ahead of his visit to Moscow next week that he would hold talks with the Russian president Vladimir Putin regarding the peace process in the Middle East and will seek coordination of positions.

“The main objective of our visit is to hold consultations and exchange views on the latest developments in the Palestinian and international arenas, to coordinate positions and to strengthen bilateral relations in all fields”, said Mr. Abbas.

Yesterday, Mahmoud Abbas said the assassination of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniya in Tehran was aimed at prolonging the war in the Gaza Strip and complicating talks to resolve the conflict.

The president of the Palestinian Authority after his visit to Russia – from Monday 12th to Wednesday 14th August, according to a diplomatic source of the agency – expected to be in Turkey from Wednesday 14th to Thursday 15th August.

Russia, which has close ties to both Iran and Arab leaders, including Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, condemned the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniya last Wednesday in Tehran and urged all parties to avoid further destabilization of the Middle East.

At the same time, Moscow never misses an opportunity to criticize the Westespecially the US, pointing out that it defies the need to establish an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders.

Yesterday Monday, Sergei Saigu, the former Minister of Defense, now the Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, met with the new president of Iran, Massoud Pezheskian. The latter declared his determination to further strengthen the relationship with Russia, a “strategic ally” of the Islamic Republic.