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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, addressing the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly via video link after the Trump administration denied visas to him and his delegation, delivered a sharp condemnation of Israel's actions in Gaza, describing them as war crimes and crimes against humanity.
"What Israel is carrying out is not merely an aggression. It is a war crime and a crime against humanity that is both documented and monitored, and it will be recorded in history books and the pages of international conscience as one of the most horrific chapters of humanitarian tragedy in the 20th and 21st centuries," Abbas said. In his address, Abbas said Palestinians in Gaza have been suffering under devastating conditions. "I 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," he noted. He further accused Israeli forces of carrying out atrocities that caused widespread casualties. "That genocide has been waged by the Israeli occupation forces in which they killed and injured more than 220,000 Palestinians, the majority of whom are unarmed children, women and the elderly," he added. Abbas's remarks came on the third day of the UNGA General Debate, where the Gaza war has been a central theme for many leaders. In the same session, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud also appealed for urgent international action. "Somalia remains deeply concerned by the continued suffering of the Palestinian people, the ongoing violence," he told delegates. "The displacement and deprivation faced in the occupied territories, including Gaza, demand our collective conscience and urgent action," Mohamud said. "We call for an immediate and lasting ceasefire, unhindered humanitarian access, and renewed commitment towards the two-state solution as the only viable path for a just and lasting peace in the Middle East today," he said. Alongside his appeal on Gaza, Mohamud drew attention to the broader struggles of fragile states. Referring to World Bank figures, he pointed out that 39 countries, including Somalia, are listed as "fragile and conflict-affected." "Over 30 member states of the UN today, including my country, Somalia, are classified as fragile and conflict-affected because of both conflict and social and institutional fragility," he said. "When you add the vulnerability stemming from climate change, this number is frighteningly higher." Highlighting Somalia's recovery with international support, Mohamud called his country "evidence that multilateralism and global solidarity can make the world a better, safer and progressive place." (ANI)
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