Will Not Abandon the Land of Birth: Palestinian President

New York: Palestine is the motherland, and we are not prepared to leave the land of our birth, said Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. He was addressing the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York through video conference. He could not attend the session in person as the United States denied him a visa to travel to New York.

Like the people of any other country, we wish to live in our birthplace peacefully, independently, and securely. Without justice, there can be no peace. Without Palestinian liberation, there can be no justice. Israel must stop using starvation as a weapon and killing innocent people. It must also end the expulsion of Palestinians from their own lands, as well as the settlement expansion and occupation in the West Bank, he said.

He praised the countries that have recognised Palestine and urged more nations to do the same. He stated that Hamas will have no governing role in Gaza and that the Palestinian Authority is prepared to take full responsibility for the Palestinian state.

The war in Gaza must end immediately. Humanitarian aid must reach without obstruction. Governance of Gaza must be handed over to the Palestinian Authority. Abbas rejected Hamas’s October 7 attacks. He also demanded that Israel fully withdraw from Gaza and that an immediate ceasefire be implemented.

Even as protests rise worldwide against Israel’s brutal attacks, Israel continues its killing spree by tightening its siege of Gaza. On Thursday, 43 people, including 11 children, were killed in Gaza City. With the aim of capturing Gaza City, Israel is intensifying its assault with tanks and soldiers. Israel claims the military action is to ensure the total defeat of Hamas.

As the attacks escalate, people are fleeing en masse towards the southern coast. Hospitals are facing an acute shortage of medicines. Food scarcity is also worsening. Amid this crisis, Israel has further intensified its offensive.

Following the Israeli assault, Spain and Italy offered support to the Freedom Flotilla aid ships heading to Gaza. Just the previous day, the flotilla had come under drone attack.

Reports suggest that President Donald Trump presented a 21-point plan for peace in Gaza to a group of Arab and Muslim leaders during the UN General Assembly in New York. However, details of the plan have not yet been released.