Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the UN General Assembly via videolink on September 25, 2025, after being denied a U.S. visa. He accused Israel of committing war crimes and genocide in Gaza, citing the deaths of at least 65,419 people and 167,160 injuries since October 2023, according to local health authorities.
Abbas condemned Israel’s use of starvation as a weapon and its settlement expansion in the West Bank, which he said violates international law and makes a Palestinian state nearly impossible. He rejected Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attacks, which killed 1,139 people in Israel and took 200 captives, stating that Hamas does not represent Palestinians and will have no role in future governance. A UN report released on September 24, 2025, found that Israeli forces have systematically destroyed civilian infrastructure in Gaza, including wells, sewage systems, schools, mosques, and cemeteries, with the intent to establish permanent control and alter the region’s demographic composition.
Abbas called for an immediate end to the war, the release of all captives and prisoners, and guarantees that Gaza residents can remain on their land. Meanwhile, a U.S.-proposed 21-point peace plan, discussed without Palestinian input, aims to prevent full West Bank annexation by Israel, raising concerns about the Palestinian Authority’s role in future negotiations.
