VIDEO: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas delivers speech to UNGA via video message

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas delivered a virtual address to the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, decrying what he called nearly two years of “genocide, destruction, starvation, and displacement” in Gaza.

“I speak to you today after almost two years in which our Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip have been facing a war of genocide,” Abbas said. “This has been waged by the Israeli occupation forces, which have killed and injured more than 220,000 Palestinians, the majority of whom are unarmed children, women, and the elderly.”

Abbas labeled the actions of 'Israel' as “not merely an aggression. It is a war crime and a crime against humanity that is both documented and monitored, and it will be recorded in history books and the pages of international conscience as one of the most horrific chapters of humanitarian tragedy in the 20th and 21st centuries.”

- Settlement expansion and annexation threats -

Turning to the West Bank, Abbas criticized what he called the 'Israeli' government’s “settlement disease” and illegal expansion projects, highlighting the controversial E1 settlement plan.

“This plan would divide the West Bank into two parts, isolate occupied Jerusalem, and undermine the option of a two-state solution, in blatant violation of international law and Security Council resolutions,” he said.

Abbas also condemned 'Israeli' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s call for a “greater Israel,” describing it as including “expanding into sovereign Arab states in addition to the brutal attack against the sisterly State of Qatar,” which he called “a grave and blatant violation of international law.”

- Settler violence and attacks on religious sites -

The Palestinian leader accused settlers of escalating violence, saying they burn homes and fields, uproot trees, and attack villages and unarmed civilians “in broad daylight under the protection of the Israeli occupation army.” He added that Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, Hebron, and Gaza have been damaged “in blatant violation of the historic status quo and international law.”

- Rejection of Hamas attacks -

While condemning 'Israeli' actions, Abbas also rejected the October 7 operation carried out by Hamas, insisting they “do not represent the Palestinian people, nor their just struggle for freedom and independence.”

He stressed that Hamas and other factions must hand over their weapons to the Palestinian Authority as part of a state-building process, emphasizing that “we do not want an armed state.”

- Ongoing occupation and calls for accountability -

Abbas highlighted the long-standing plight of Palestinians, stating that “seven million Palestinians are still living the tragedies of the Nakba and displacement since 1948” and that the Israeli Occupation continues “without any deterrent or accountability.”

He noted that over a thousand UN resolutions have not been implemented and criticized 'Israel' for undermining agreements, including the 1993 Oslo Accords, despite Palestinian efforts to build modern state institutions.

- International solidarity and Palestinian positions -

Expressing gratitude to global supporters, Abbas urged that backing for the Palestinian cause not be conflated with anti-Semitism.

He outlined key positions, including:

• An immediate and permanent end to the war in Gaza.
• Unconditional entry of humanitarian aid via UN organizations.
• Release of all captives and prisoners on both sides.
• Complete 'Israeli' withdrawal from Gaza and an end to settlements, annexation, and settler violence.
• Temporary administrative control of Gaza by the Palestinian Authority under Arab and international supervision.
• Reconstruction plans for Gaza and the West Bank.
• Release of Palestinian tax funds held by 'Israel' and lifting the economic blockade.

Abbas concluded by stressing the need for international support to protect civilians in Gaza and ensure Palestinian rights, calling on the world to recognize the humanitarian and legal dimensions of the ongoing conflict.