Israel’s policies threaten ‘very existence’ of Palestinians, Abbas tells UN
News Source
•Thu, 24 Sep 2026 19:02:50 +0000
📰 What Happened
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas told the UN General Assembly that Israel's policies now threaten the 'very life and existence' of Palestinians. He said they face one of the most dangerous periods in their history.
His speech was recorded in Ramallah and played to the hall. The United States refused visas to the Palestinian delegation for the second year in a row, so no team could travel to New York.
He listed killing, starvation, displacement and what he called a genocidal war in Gaza. He also described Israeli settlement building in the West Bank as a 'malicious colonial plan'.
🔍 The Backstory
Palestinians have not held legislative or presidential elections since 2005 and 2006. Abbas said the Palestinian Authority plans to hold legislative elections on 28 November, the first such vote in 20 years.
Talks to end the war are moving slowly. Hamas said it agreed to a 15-point roadmap backed by a US-led Board of Peace. That plan includes disarming Hamas and handing Gaza's administration to a Palestinian committee.
Abbas said any transition period must bring Gaza and the occupied West Bank back together under one Palestinian state, with a single armed force and no other armed groups.
🎯 Why It Matters
A peace deal still looks far away. For ordinary Palestinians, speeches change little while daily life in Gaza and the West Bank stays dangerous and uncertain.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas told the UN General Assembly that Israel's policies now threaten the 'very life and existence' of Palestinians. He said they face one of the most dangerous periods in their history.
His speech was recorded in Ramallah and played to the hall. The United States refused visas to the Palestinian delegation for the second year in a row, so no team could travel to New York.
He listed killing, starvation, displacement and what he called a genocidal war in Gaza. He also described Israeli settlement building in the West Bank as a 'malicious colonial plan'.
Palestinians have not held legislative or presidential elections since 2005 and 2006. Abbas said the Palestinian Authority plans to hold legislative elections on 28 November, the first such vote in 20 years.
Talks to end the war are moving slowly. Hamas said it agreed to a 15-point roadmap backed by a US-led Board of Peace. That plan includes disarming Hamas and handing Gaza's administration to a Palestinian committee.
Abbas said any transition period must bring Gaza and the occupied West Bank back together under one Palestinian state, with a single armed force and no other armed groups.
A peace deal still looks far away. For ordinary Palestinians, speeches change little while daily life in Gaza and the West Bank stays dangerous and uncertain.