On the 25th, Palestinian President Abbas delivered a video address at the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, calling on the international community to take effective action to immediately end the war in Gaza and a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.
Abbas said that Israel’s two-year military operations in Gaza have caused disastrous humanitarian consequences, with more than 220,000 people killed and wounded, most of them women, children and the elderly, resulting in hundreds of thousands of people displaced and more than 80% of Gaza’s houses, schools, hospitals and other facilities destroyed.Abbas also opposed the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, saying it did not represent the Palestinian struggle for freedom and independence.。
Abbas called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the use of famine as a weapon and the unconditional delivery of humanitarian supplies to Gaza under the auspices of the United Nations and relevant agencies. Called for the release of all detainees on both sides and the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza to ensure that Gaza’s residents are not forcibly displaced.
Abbas said,In post-war Gaza, the Palestinian State should fully assume its responsibility for governance and security and establish a unified legitimate security force with the support of the Arab states and the international community.Hamas and other factions must disarm.Pakistan plans to hold presidential and parliamentary elections within a year of the end of the war and complete the draft of an interim constitution within three months to the transition from a “power institution” to a “state”.
Abbas thanked several countries that recently recognized the Palestinian State and called on the international community to recognize the Palestinian State and support Palestine as a full member of the United Nations.