Palestinian Leader Says Holocaust 'Most Heinous Crime' In Modern History

Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas has called what happened to the Jewish people during the Holocaust the "most heinous crime" against humanity in the modern era.

In an April 27 statement in English, Abbas expressed sympathy for the families of victims of the Nazi-era mass killing of some 6 million Jews.

The statement was released just hours before Israel starts marking Holocaust Remembrance Day.

In the statement, Abbas also called on Israeli leaders to "seize the current opportunity to conclude a just and comprehensive peace in the region, based on the two states vision, Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security."

Abbas's statement comes as Israel has suspended peace talks after Abbas reached an agreement with the Islamist Hamas movement to form a unity government.
Based on reporting by AFP and AP