Palestinian President Abbas Warns UN of Existential Threat, Cites 'New Nakba'

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas delivered a sharp, pre-recorded address to the UN General Assembly on Thursday, warning that the Palestinian people are facing one of the most dangerous periods in their history due to prolonged oppression and occupation. He described the situation in Gaza as one of destruction, starvation, killing, and attempted mass extermination, which has devastated lives, cities, refugee camps, institutions, schools, mosques, and hospitals, impacting future generations.

Abbas also highlighted the expansion of settlements and the Judaization of Jerusalem in the West Bank, alongside escalating settler violence under the protection of occupation forces. He condemned ongoing land confiscation and home demolitions, citing racist laws and state-sponsored terror. He asserted that Israel's actions violate international law, are destroying the two-state solution, and pose a direct threat to Palestinian existence, likening it to a colonial plan to make Palestinian life impossible and force emigration. He urged the international community not to allow a repeat of the 1948 Nakba.

Appealing directly to the international community, Abbas criticized global inaction and complicity, questioning why some nations remain silent or supply Israel with weapons used against Palestinians. He specifically called out the failure to prevent violence against Palestinians and the fear imposed on children. His remarks come amid widespread international criticism of Israel, with French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak having previously condemned Israeli government actions in Gaza and the West Bank.

Macron stated that while the October 7th Hamas attack was horrific and Britain stands with Israel, it does not justify the government's actions. He also questioned Hamas's alleged lack of activity in the West Bank. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refuted Macron's claim, citing the murder of a French citizen by Hamas in the West Bank. Gadi Eisenkot, head of the National Unity party, also criticized Macron's statement as detached from reality, emphasizing Hamas's threat in the West Bank and the need for a global fight against terror.

Macron further criticized settler violence in the West Bank as denying Palestinians their legitimate right to exist and questioned the diplomatic value of US President Donald Trump's peace plan for Gaza. He noted that while some countries recognized Palestine a year prior, inaction in Gaza undermines credibility. UN Secretary-General António Guterres also criticized Israel, calling the destruction in Gaza unprecedented and expressing concern about ethnic cleansing due to settlement expansion in the West Bank.