The Palestinian Authority has not taken any serious and practical stances to stop the violence or show real solidarity with Gaza since Israeli airstrikes began to hit the Strip May 10 and up until a cease-fire was reached at dawn May 21 between Hamas and Israel.

The PA has only released statements of condemnation for the Israeli attacks on Palestinians in Gaza and made phone calls with several political parties. President Mahmoud Abbas did not call any Hamas leaders.

On May 19, Abbas announced in a recorded speech before an emergency meeting of the Arab Parliament held in Cairo, “We are ready to form an internationally accepted national unity government committed to international legitimacy.” In the same speech, he said that his efforts to hold the general elections are ongoing and that they will proceed once they can be held in Jerusalem.

Bassem Naim, Gaza's former health minister who now works in Hamas' international relations office, told Al-Monitor, “Abbas’ call to form a national unity government that is totally outside the political context is not serious." He "is selling himself and his people illusions," Naim said, explaining that many things need to happen before a government can be formed "such as lifting the sanctions on Gaza, sending aid to the grieving Strip and keeping the hands of his security forces off every Palestinian who shows solidarity with Gaza in the West Bank.”