Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the international community on Thursday, particularly urging the United States to halt its arms shipments to Israel. He stated that this action is crucial to end the ongoing bloodshed in the West Bank and Gaza.
Speaking at the annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly, Abbas highlighted the U.S.'s role in the conflict due to its arms shipments and vetoes of Security Council resolutions that condemn Israel's military actions against Hamas militants.
Abbas emphasized, "Stop this crime. Stop it now. Stop killing children and women. Stop the genocide. Stop sending weapons to Israel.” He characterized the current situation as madness that cannot continue, stating, "The entire world is responsible for what is happening to our people in Gaza and the West Bank.”
He criticized the U.S. for using its veto power in Security Council votes, effectively conveying that "No, the fighting is going to continue."
In a separate address at the U.N., Edgard Leblanc Fils, the president of Haiti's transitional presidential council, expressed support for a U.N. peacekeeping mission to combat gang violence that is overwhelming authorities in Haiti.
This marked the first time a Haitian government official publicly supported the peacekeeping mission since the U.S. suggested it as a means to secure additional resources for a U.N.-backed mission led by Kenya.
Leblanc stated, "I am convinced that this change of status, whilst recognizing the errors of the past cannot be repeated, would guarantee the full success of the mission."
On Wednesday, Leblanc met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and others to discuss the status of the mission, which has faced challenges since its initiation when Kenyan police first arrived in Haiti in late June.
Currently, nearly 400 Kenyan officers are in Haiti, along with nearly two dozen police officers and soldiers from Jamaica. However, this number is significantly lower than the 2,500 pledged by various countries for the mission.
The mandate of the current security support mission is set to expire soon and requires renewal by the upcoming Wednesday.
"We would like to see a thought being given to transforming the security support mission into a peacekeeping mission under the mandate of the U.N.," Leblanc added.
The U.N. Security Council would ultimately need to vote on such a peacekeeping mission, but experts believe it is unlikely to receive support. They noted that many Haitians might oppose it due to negative experiences with previous U.N. interventions.
The ongoing conflict in Gaza was reignited on October 7 when Hamas, designated as a terrorist group by the U.S., conducted a surprise attack on Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 hostages.
Israel's retaliatory offensive in Gaza has resulted in over 41,000 deaths, according to Hamas health officials, although the Israeli military contends that many casualties are Hamas fighters.
Abbas accused the U.S. of supplying Israel with "the deadly weapons that it used to kill thousands of innocent civilians, children and women." He argued that this support encourages ongoing Israeli aggression.
He stated that Israel "does not deserve" to be a member of the U.N., further condemning its actions in Gaza.
Abbas also expressed that once the war concludes, the Palestinian Authority should have full control of the Gaza Strip, a position that Israel has rejected.
Israeli ambassador to the U.N., Danny Danon, criticized Abbas’s speech for failing to mention Hamas, emphasizing the group’s role in escalating the conflict.
Danon stated, “The Palestinian Authority under his leadership pays salaries to terrorists who kill Israelis: whoever kills more – Abbas pays him more.”
He condemned Abbas’s call for a peaceful resolution, calling it hypocritical, saying, “There is no greater hypocrisy and lie than this. Abbas’ legacy is one of chronic weakness in the face of terrorism and hatred.”
While Abbas did not specifically name Hamas, he did emphasize the need to stop the war immediately and condemned civilian casualties regardless of their side in the conflict.
Abbas’s remarks followed his proposal for a peace conference in Madrid to address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, amid stalled cease-fire negotiations.
