Over a thousand Palestinian politicians, intellectuals, economists and civic dignitaries on Wednesday signed a document denouncing "the bloody military mutiny which Hamas conducted in the Gaza Strip." Heading the petition was the signature of veteran Palestinian poet, Mahmoud Darwish.

The document was entitled "Let's protect and defend the Palestinian national project." The petition read: "What has been accomplished over 40 years at a very high price was shocked and has almost collapsed. The Palestinian legal political representation was threatened, as well as the right to establish an independent national entity."

Signatories to the document also affirmed that the legitimacy of the PLO "is the higher Palestinian national legitimacy". Consequently, they stated their support for the resolutions of the Palestinian central council, specifically the call for early elections, the dissolution of the armed militias and the unity of Palestinian arms and political legitimacy.