Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Photo: VCG

Preparations reportedly are taking place for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's planned visit to the Gaza Strip as the Palestinian officials have reached out to countries worldwide for support. 

According to a statement published by Palestinian official news Agency WAFA on Sunday, the visit aims to demonstrate solidarity with Gaza's residents, assert that the State of Palestine and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) are the legitimate authorities over all Palestinian territories, and promote national unity, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Monday.

The statement noted that "the Palestinian leadership" is engaging with UN agencies, UN Security Council members, Arab and Islamic countries, the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the EU, the African Union, and other global powers to garner support and ensure the initiative's success.

Israel has also been informed, the Xinhua's report added.

In a speech delivered at a Turkish parliamentary assembly, Abbas said he decided to travel to Gaza with all members of the Palestinian leadership, emphasizing his commitment to stand with the Palestinian people, WAFA reported.

Abbas also called on the leaders of Arab, Islamic, and friendly countries as well as the UN secretary-general to join his planned visit to help "stop the Israeli aggression on Gaza," while stressing that "our next destination will be the holy city of Jerusalem, our eternal capital," according to media reports.

Abbas plans to visit Gaza and is emphasizing the significance of a visit to Jerusalem, while also calling for the involvement of Arab and Islamic countries, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and even the UN in this initiative. One of the aims of this visit is to assert the presence of the Palestinian Authority (PA) in the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, Liu Zhongmin, a professor at the Middle East Studies Institute of Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times on Monday.