UNITED NATIONS: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told the UN Genral Assembly that “Palestine is ours. Jerusalem is the jewel of our heart and our eternal capital. We will not leave our homeland. We will not leave our lands.”
He added: “Our people will remain rooted like the olive trees, firm as the rocks. We will rise from under the rubble to rebuild.”
“We declare that we are ready to work with U.S. President Donald Trump and with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and France and the United Nations and all partners to implement the peace plan … in a way that would lead towards a just peace and regional cooperation,” Abbas said, according to a translation provided by the U.N.
The 193-member U.N. General Assembly earlier this month overwhelmingly endorsed a seven-page declaration that aims to advance a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians and end the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas militants.
Separately, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said on Wednesday Trump had presented proposals for a Middle East peace plan to leaders from several Muslim-majority countries at this week’s U.N. meetings and is hopeful for a breakthrough on Gaza in the coming days.
“We urge all the states that have not done so yet to recognize the State of Palestine. We call on supporting Palestine obtaining a full membership in the United Nations,” Abbas said, according to a translation provided by the U.N.
“We would like to thank France, the UK, Canada, Australia, Belgium, Portugal, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, San Marino, Andorra and Denmark for their recognition of the State of Palestine. We would like to thank all 149 states which had previously recognized the State of Palestine. Our people will not forget this noble position.”
“We highly appreciate all the peoples and organizations around the world who protested in support of the rights of the Palestinian people to freedom and independence, and to stop the war, destruction and starvation. We reject confusing the solidarity with the Palestinian cause and the issue of anti-Semitism, which is something that we reject based on our values and principles.”
“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 conscious as one of the most horrific chapters of humanitarian tragedy in the 20th and 21st centuries,” Abbas said.
He said Israel says it is acting in self-defense after the October 7, 2023, attack led by Palestinian Hamas militants that killed 1,200 people and in which more than 250 were taken hostage.
“Despite all what our people have suffered, we reject what Hamas carried out on the 7th of October,” Abbas said.
“Hamas will not have a role to play in governance. Hamas and other factions will have to hand over their weapons to the Palestinian National Authority.”
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