‘We will not leave…’: Palestinian president urges world to stop ‘genocidal war’ in Gaza

Abbas emphasised that Palestine is the homeland of the Palestinian people, inherited from their ancestors, and asserted that if anyone were to leave, it would be “the occupying usurpers.”

He further accused Tel Aviv of committing “one of the most heinous crimes of our era,” referring to nearly a year of what he described as a “full-scale war of genocide” against the Palestinian people. Abbas also made it clear that he was not there to respond to the “lies” of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is also set to address the assembly later in the week.

“Stop killing children and women. Stop the genocide. Stop sending weapons to Israel. This madness cannot continue. The entire world is responsible for what is happening to our people in Gaza and the West Bank,” Abbas urged 193-member General Assembly.

Abbas, then, outlined his proposal for what should happen after the end of the war in Gaza.

First, he called for a “comprehensive and permanent” ceasefire in Gaza, along with an end to military aggressions in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Then, he emphasised the urgent need for humanitarian aid, stating, “there is nothing in Gaza,” and immediate assistance is critical. He also demanded a “full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip,” rejecting the creation of buffer zones or any attempt to take parts of Gaza. He stressed that no Palestinians should be displaced from their lands.

He requested international protection for Palestinians on their occupied land, stating, “We are not fighting Israel. We cannot fight Israel, and we don’t want to fight, but we want protection.

The Palestinian leader also expressed “regret” over the United States obstructing thrice the draft resolution of the UN Security Council demanding Israel to observe a ceasefire.

“This is the United States, the very country that was the only member in the security council that voted against granting the state of Palestine for membership in the UN. We don’t deserve membership in the eyes of America, so they use a veto against it,” he said.