Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas delivered a forceful plea to the UN Basic Meeting on Thursday, starting his speech by declaring thrice, “We won’t depart,” as he known as for fast motion to halt the continued conflict between Israel and Hamas within the Gaza Strip.
“Palestine is our homeland. It’s the land of our fathers, our grandfathers. It’ll stay ours, and if anybody had been to go away, it might be the occupying usurpers,” Mahmoud Abbas mentioned.
Abbas warned that Gaza has been nearly fully destroyed and is not match for human life, urging the worldwide group to intervene and finish the devastation.
“This insanity can not proceed. The complete world is accountable for what is going on to our individuals,” he mentioned, addressing the 193-member physique.
Abbas additionally emphasised that his authorities wouldn’t tolerate any territorial loss, saying, “We won’t enable a single centimeter of Gaza to be taken.”
Furthermore, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas known as for Israel’s elimination from the United Nations, accusing the nation of repeatedly defying UN resolutions concerning the Israeli-Palestinian battle.
“Israel, which refuses to implement United Nations resolutions, doesn’t need to be a member of this worldwide organisation,” Abbas mentioned throughout his handle to the UN Basic Meeting. His remarks observe the UN’s earlier recognition of Palestine’s eligibility for full membership.
The battle erupted on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants launched a lethal assault on Israeli communities, killing about 1,200 individuals and taking 250 hostages again to Gaza, in line with Israeli reviews.
In response, Israel’s navy has carried out in depth strikes throughout Gaza, which Palestinian well being authorities declare have killed greater than 41,000 individuals. The assault has displaced nearly all of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, resulting in extreme meals shortages, illness outbreaks, and mounting casualties.
Whereas nations just like the US, Qatar, and Egypt have tried to mediate a ceasefire and safe the discharge of hostages, no decision has been achieved.
Abbas known as for an entire ceasefire, an finish to Israeli settler violence within the West Financial institution and East Jerusalem, unhindered humanitarian entry to Gaza, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territory.
He additionally insisted that the Palestinian Authority, below his management, ought to take full management of Gaza, together with the administration of its borders, notably the Rafah crossing. He reiterated that elections could be held as soon as peace is restored.
In response, Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon criticised Abbas for specializing in diplomacy with out condemning the Hamas assault that triggered the present conflict.
