<\/p>\n
25 September 2025<\/p>\n
Assembly\u2019s general debate called for the Organization\u2019s \u201creset\u201d and voiced hope for peace and reconciliation.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cWe want a modern and democratic State that abides by international law, the rule of law and multilateralism and the peaceful transition of power,\u201d Mahmoud Abbas, President of the State of Palestine, said, addressing leaders via video-link. \u00a0The Palestinian Authority is willing to take responsibility for Gaza, he said, insisting that Hamas would not have a role for governance and security there.<\/p>\n With more than 220,000 Palestinians killed or injured over nearly two years of fighting, he accused Israel of committing genocide, marking \u201cone of the most horrific chapters of humanitarian tragedy in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries\u201d. \u00a0Mr.\u00a0Abbas condemned the 7\u00a0October\u00a02023 Hamas attack on Israeli civilians, saying those actions \u201cdo not represent the Palestinian people, nor their just struggle for freedom and independence\u201d.<\/p>\n He said Palestine is ready to work with the United States, Saudi Arabia, France, the United Nations and all partners to implement the peace plan.\u00a0 \u201cNo matter how much our wounds bleed, and no matter how long this suffering lasts, it will not break our will to live and survive,\u201d he stressed.<\/p>\n \/…<\/p>\n In solidarity, Rashad Mohammed al-Alimi, President of Yemen, voiced full support for the Palestinian Authority and urged all Member States to recognize Palestine as a State.<\/p>\n \/…<\/p>\n \u201cI speak to you today after almost two years in which our Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip have been facing a war of genocide, destruction, starvation and displacement,\u201d Mahmoud Abbas, President of the State of Palestine, said, addressing the General Assembly via video link.\u00a0 That genocide has been \u201cwaged by the Israeli occupation forces in which they killed and injured more than 220,000\u00a0Palestinians, the majority of whom are unarmed children, women and the elderly\u201d.\u00a0He said these crimes will be recorded in \u201cthe pages of international conscience as one of the most horrific chapters of humanitarian tragedy in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries\u201d.<\/p>\n He said, \u201cwe reject and completely deplore\u201d a plan by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a \u201cgreater Israel\u201d.\u00a0 That involves \u201cexpanding into sovereign Arab States in addition to the brutal attack against the sisterly State of Qatar\u201d.\u00a0 He drew attention to the increasing \u201cterrorism of settlers\u201d, as they \u201cburn homes and fields, they uproot trees and attack villages, and attack unarmed Palestinian civilians,\u201d adding:\u00a0 \u201cIn fact, they kill them in broad daylight under the protection of the Israeli occupation army.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDespite all what our people have suffered, we reject what Hamas carried out on the seventh of October [2023],\u201d he stated, adding that the targeting and hostage taking of Israeli citizens does \u201cnot represent the Palestinian people\u201d, nor \u201ctheir just struggle for freedom and independence\u201d.\u00a0The Gaza Strip \u201cis an integral part of the State of Palestine, and we are ready to bear full responsibility for governance and security there\u201d, he said, emphasizing that \u201cHamas will not have a role to play in governance\u201d and will have to hand over their weapons to the Palestinian national authority.\u00a0 \u201cWe reiterate:\u00a0we do not want an armed State\u201d.<\/p>\n Thanking the States that recently recognized Palestinian statehood, he said his authority had recognized Israel\u2019s \u201cright to exist\u201d as early as\u00a01988 and again in\u00a01993.\u00a0 He underscored that they \u201crejected violence and terrorism\u201d and \u201cadopted a culture of peace\u201d, but Israel did not adhere to the signed agreements.\u00a0 He thanked people and organizations around the world who protested in support of the rights of the Palestinian people, adding:\u00a0 \u201cWe reject confusing the solidarity with the Palestinian cause and the issue of antisemitism, which is something that we reject.\u201d<\/p>\n He called for an immediate and permanent end to the war in Gaza, the entry of humanitarian aid, the release of all hostages and prisoners on both sides, the complete withdrawal of the occupation from the Gaza Strip, and the guarantee that residents of Gaza will remain on their lands without displacement.\u00a0 His party is ready to work with the United States, Saudi Arabia, France and the UN to implement the New York Declaration.\u00a0 \u201cWe want a modern and democratic State that abides by international law, the rule of law and multilateralism and the peaceful transition of power,\u201d he said, indicating readiness to conduct elections within a year after the end of the war.\u00a0 \u201cNo matter how much our wounds bleed, and no matter how long this suffering lasts, it will not break our will to live and survive,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cThe dawn of freedom will emerge, and the flag of Palestine will fly high in our skies.\u201d<\/p>\n \/…<\/p>\n \/…<\/p>\n He said it is time to form an international coalition to restore the security of his country and liberate it from the \u201cclutches\u201d of all terrorist groups.\u00a0 International law is not simply a myth, he said, calling Yemen and Gaza \u201cthe moral testing ground\u201d of this Organization.\u00a0 They are the places where \u201cthe might of right is still able to confront the right of might\u201d.\u00a0 He voiced appreciation for Saudi Arabia\u2019s support for his country, and for Palestine \u2014 a \u201cwound that continues to bleed\u201d, he said, voicing full support for the Palestinian Authority and calling on Member States that have not yet done so to recognize Palestine as a State.<\/p>\n \/…<\/p>\n \/…<\/p>\n Also rejecting the unilateral coercive measures on Cuba, he expressed alarm about the genocide of the Palestinian people.<\/p>\n \/…<\/p>\n \/…<\/p>\n Turning to global peace and justice, the President reaffirmed Gabon\u2019s \u201csupport for the two-State solution, the only way to guarantee a just and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians\u201d<\/p>\n \/…<\/p>\n In the Middle East, he continued, these ad hoc committees should facilitate dialogue with all parties involved.\u00a0\u201cThe team could ask the Palestinians what it will take to release the hostages, given the fact that the Israelis would remain aggrieved as long as their loved ones are not with them,\u201d he specified.<\/p>\n \/…<\/p>\n Turning to the situation in the Gaza Strip, he lamented the public\u2019s \u201cunacceptable\u201d silence in the genocidal violence perpetrated against Palestinians.\u00a0\u201cSilence is actually an expression of cowardice or approval of cowardice,\u201d he underscored.<\/p>\n \/…<\/p>\n \u201cThe plight of the Palestinians remains unresolved, with its people continuing to face alarming difficulties under dire humanitarian conditions,\u201d he said.\u00a0 He called for a two-State solution and \u201ca State of Palestine within the 1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital\u201d.<\/p>\n \/…<\/p>\n He also condemned the countries that are hiding behind immoral neutrality towards the suffering of the Palestinian people, especially in Gaza.<\/p>\n Accordingly, he affirmed Addis Ababa\u2019s support for the Palestinian people\u2019s right to self-determination, calling for immediate direct negotiation between the warring parties, wide humanitarian assistance to all in need, and the international community\u2019s intervention to end the violence.\u00a0 \u201cThis is not a political preference but a moral imperative,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n He cited Sudan \u2014 \u201can underreported and devastating conflict with destruction of huge proportions\u201d \u2014 and Gaza, a humanitarian catastrophe that \u201cshocks the world\u2019s conscience\u201d.\u00a0 Calling the use of starvation as a weapon of war \u201cimmoral\u201d, he further condemned terrorism in all its forms. \u00a0The horrific attacks by Hamas cannot be forgotten, and \u201cwe stand with Israel\u2019s right to security\u201d, he stated, calling for the immediate release of the hostages.<\/p>\n Citing the importance of a negotiated two-State solution, he noted the bloc is the largest provider of humanitarian aid to Palestinians \u2014 and has been the largest supporter of the Palestinian Authority. \u00a0However, \u201cpeace in the Middle East requires a collective response,\u201d, he said.<\/p>\n \/…<\/p>\n In Gaza, every day brings more heartbreaking images \u2014 \u201cimages we scarcely thought possible\u201d, he said. \u00a0Urging the Israeli Government to drastically change its course, he expressed support for the European Commission\u2019s proposal to restrict investment in Israeli companies that develop dual use technologies. \u00a0Further, \u201cwe want to suspend the European Union-Israel Association Agreement,\u201d he said, and refuse goods from illegal settlements. \u00a0Also stressing that Hamas is a terrorist organization that must lay down its arms, he said it has no place in the future governance of the Gaza Strip.\u00a0 Taking stock of how much there is to be done and how the UN has failed in many arenas, he said: \u00a0\u201cI understand that some of us may be tempted to give in to despair. \u00a0And yet, we can\u2019t allow that.\u201d<\/p>\n The situation in Gaza represents a collective failure of the international community, a humanitarian scandal and an unprecedented moral challenge, he said, reiterating Chad\u2019s call for recognition of a Palestinian State based on the two-State solution, pre-1967 borders and an immediate halt to illegal settlement activities.\u00a0 This week\u2019s adoption of the New York Declaration is an historic step forward that must be transformed into concrete action, he said.<\/p>\n \/…<\/p>\n He therefore called for a lasting solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and urged the international community to heighten support for African peace and security initiatives.<\/p>\n \/…<\/p>\n David Lammy, Lord Chancellor, Secretary of State for Justice and Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, hailing the UN Charter\u00a0as \u201cour compass\u201d, stressed that \u201cwhat is happening in Gaza is indefensible\u201d, inhumane, utterly unjustifiable and \u201cmust end now\u201d.\u00a0 The people of Palestine \u201cwhose State we proudly recognized this week\u201d and the people of Israel \u201cdeserve better\u201d.\u00a0Condemning the \u201chorrific acts by Hamas\u201d on 7\u00a0October 2023 and \u201cIsrael\u2019s denial of life saving humanitarian aid and the catastrophic famine that it has caused\u201d, he stressed \u201cthere can be no answer to these horrors but concerted diplomatic action\u201d.<\/p>\n \/…<\/p>\n \u201cBig problems can only be solved together,\u201d she stressed, adding that everyone has the responsibility to act \u2014 not only in their own interest but for a better future for all.\u00a0 For this generation, the future does not seem brighter than the present, she noted, with fundamental fears of war, conflict, climate change and division.\u00a0 Yet, \u201cwe cannot close our eyes before the gap between aspiration and harsh reality\u201d \u2014 for example, in Gaza, where devastation, starvation and despair have reached terrible proportions.<\/p>\n She condemned the \u201cbeyond imaginable brutality\u201d of Hamas\u2019 attacks and called for all hostages in Gaza to be freed.\u00a0 Concurrently, she stressed that nothing justifies the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza:\u00a0 violations of international law, including humanitarian law, cannot be excused.\u00a0\u201cThe actions and decisions of the Israeli Government break my heart,\u201d she stated, adding that this war must end now, the hostages must be freed, and humanitarian aid must reach the suffering civilians in Gaza as soon as possible.\u00a0 She outlined Austria\u2019s vision:\u00a0 a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East, with Israel and Palestine living side by side within recognized borders.\u00a0 She pledged that, once the right conditions are met, Austria will also recognize Palestine as a State.<\/p>\n \/…<\/p>\n He also called for upholding international law alongside human rights, as war takes an \u201cintolerable toll\u201d, urging an end to the wars in Gaza and Ukraine.<\/p>\n \/…<\/p>\n In Gaza, \u201clife is living hell\u201d \u2014 with nearly two years of extreme death, starvation, and forced displacement \u2014 while in the West Bank, \u201csettlements and settler violence continue unchecked\u201d.\u00a0 He declared:\u00a0 \u201cThe war must end now, massive humanitarian aid must reach those in need now, the remaining hostages must be released now and the illegal occupation must end now.\u201d<\/p>\n Nevertheless, there is an alternative to the \u201cnever-ending cycle of violence\u201d.\u00a0 At the recent conference on Palestine, Member States developed a roadmap toward a settlement of the conflict between Israel and Palestine.\u00a0 Recognition of the State of Palestine, however, is only one step toward the two-State solution.\u00a0 \u201cPalestinian governance must be strengthened, Hamas must be demobilized, and we need credible security guarantees between Israel and Palestine,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n \/…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 25 September 2025 Assembly\u2019s general debate called for the Organization\u2019s \u201creset\u201d and voiced hope for peace and reconciliation. \u201cWe want a modern and democratic State that abides by international law, the rule of law and multilateralism and the peaceful transition of power,\u201d Mahmoud Abbas, President of the State of Palestine, said, addressing leaders via 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Crisis, Aspirations for Peace, Reform\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n
State of Palestine: Mahmoud Abbas, President<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Yemen: Rashad Mohammed al-Alimi, President<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Bolivia: Luis Alberto Arce Catacora, President\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Gabon: Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, President\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Eswatini: Mswati III, King<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Bosnia and Herzegovina: \u017deljko Kom\u0161i\u0107, Chairman of the Presidency<\/strong><\/h4>\n
The Gambia: Muhammed Jallow, Vice-President\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Libya: Mohamed Younis A Menfi, President of the Presidential Council<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Ethiopia: Taye Atskeselassie Amde, President<\/strong><\/h4>\n
European Union: Ant\u00f3nio Costa, President of the European Council<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Netherlands: Hendrikus Wilhelmus Maria (Dick) Schoof, Prime Minister<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Chad: Allah-Maye Halina, Prime Minister<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Sao Tome and Principe: Am\u00e9rico d’Oliveira dos Ramos, Prime Minister.<\/strong><\/h4>\n
United Kingdom: David Lammy, Lord Chancellor, Secretary of State for Justice and Deputy Prime Minister<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Austria: Beate Meinl-Reisinger, Federal Minister for European and International Affairs<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Mexico:<\/strong>\u00a0Juan Ram\u00f3n de la Fuente Ram\u00edrez<\/strong>,\u00a0Minister for Foreign Affairs\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Norway: Espen Barth Eide, Minister for Foreign Affairs<\/strong><\/h4>\n