Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has decried Israel’s use of hunger as a weapon, calling out “the extremist Israeli authorities” for its continued settlement initiatives that make a future Palestinian state just about unimaginable.
The 89-year-old addressed world leaders gathered for the United Nations Common Meeting via videolink on Thursday after being refused a visa by america to journey to New York.
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“I converse to you right this moment after nearly two years by which our Palestinian individuals within the Gaza Strip have been dealing with a battle of genocide, destruction, hunger and displacement,” Abbas stated.
Addressing genocide
The Palestinian chief started his speech by denouncing Israel’s genocidal battle in Gaza, which has killed at the least 65,419 individuals and wounded 167,160 since October 2023, based on native well being authorities. 1000’s extra are believed to be buried underneath the rubble of properties and workplace buildings devastated by Israeli air strikes.
A complete of 1,139 individuals have been killed in Israel through the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, assaults, and roughly 200 have been taken captive to Gaza.
“What Israel is finishing up will not be merely an aggression,” Abbas stated.
“It’s a battle crime and a criminal offense towards humanity that’s each documented and monitored, and will probably be recorded in historical past books and the pages of worldwide conscience as one of the vital horrific chapters of humanitarian tragedy within the twentieth and twenty first centuries.”
The UN outlined Israel’s plans to destroy life in Gaza in a report launched on Tuesday, which discovered that Israeli forces have “systematically destroyed” civilian life throughout Gaza over the previous two years.
“Since October 2023, Israeli officers have demonstrated a transparent and constant intent to determine everlasting army management over Gaza and to vary its demographic composition whereas systematically destroying Palestinian life in Gaza,” the report stated. It cited Israeli demolition of wells, sewage-pumping stations and wastewater remedy vegetation in addition to the destruction of academic establishments, mosques and cemeteries.
Final week, a UN inquiry discovered that Israel’s battle on Gaza is a genocide, a landmark second after practically two years of battle that critics have known as a battle of vengeance with none particular targets.
Israel’s assault on Gaza intensified this week with at the least 85 Palestinians killed throughout the territory on Wednesday.
No position for Hamas
Regardless of the continuing hostilities, Abbas was clear about Hamas. He soundly rejected the group’s actions on October 7, 2023, saying the concentrating on of civilians and taking of captives does “not symbolize the Palestinian individuals, nor do they symbolize their simply wrestle for freedom and independence”.
Abbas insisted “Hamas won’t have a task to play in governance,” saying Hamas and different factions should hand over their weapons as a part of a state-building course of.
Israel’s unlawful settlements
Abbas turned his consideration to Israel’s settlements within the occupied West Financial institution, that are unlawful underneath worldwide legislation. He stated: “The extremist Israeli authorities continues to implement its settlement illness by way of unlawful settlement enlargement and growing initiatives for annexing settlements.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu moved forward last week with a settlement enlargement plan within the West Financial institution that might make any future Palestinian state just about unimaginable.
The Israeli chief signed an settlement to maneuver ahead with the undertaking, which might bisect the West Financial institution, saying he was fulfilling his promise that “there might be no Palestinian state”.
Abbas known as this plan “a blatant violation of worldwide legislation and related Safety Council resolutions”.
“Our individuals within the West Financial institution, together with East Jerusalem, and within the Gaza Strip, are nonetheless residing by way of the tragedies of the Israeli aggression and occupation for many years,” Abbas stated in his speech. “Years that our individuals have spent underneath occupation, killing, arrests and settlement and the theft of cash, property and lands, and this nonetheless continues with none deterrent or accountability.”
Whereas concluding his speech, Abbas outlined a number of of the Palestinian Authority’s positions, together with the necessity for a right away and everlasting finish to the battle in Gaza, the discharge of all captives and prisoners on each side, and the necessity for a assure that residents of the Gaza Strip will have the ability to stay on their lands with out displacement.
“Irrespective of how a lot our wounds bleed and irrespective of how lengthy this struggling lasts, it won’t break our will to reside and survive,” Abbas stated on the finish of his speech.
The place do negotiations go from right here?
Abbas was cautious to not criticise the US authorities, however notably, he was not in attendance in New York.
“What’s fascinating is that there’s actually energetic diplomacy occurring right here, and Palestine will not be current for that both,” Al Jazeera’s James Bays stated after Abbas’s handle, referring to a gathering this week between US President Donald Trump and Arab and Muslim leaders. From that assembly got here a 21-point peace plan offered by Trump that features a provision to cease Netanyahu from full annexation of the West Financial institution, Bays reported, quoting US particular envoy Steve Witkoff.
Whereas this can be a notable step ahead, it’s a step that was negotiated with out Abbas.
“It’s a plan that has been negotiated with out the Palestinian Authority. Is the Palestinian Authority, underneath the Trump plan, going to play a task in the way forward for Gaza and, for that matter, the West Financial institution?” Bays stated on Thursday from UN headquarters in New York.
Martin Griffiths, director of the Mediation Group Worldwide and a former high UN official, advised Al Jazeera it’s ominous that no Palestinians seem to have been consulted in regards to the proposal.
“I believe it was very telling that within the Steve Witkoff feedback, he made no point out of the Palestinians. I imply that may be a pink mild, for my part, in the event you don’t embrace the individuals into consideration, and it tells us one thing profound in regards to the doable plan,” Griffiths stated.
