Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called for an immediate cessation of restrictions imposed on Palestine and an end to settler violence in the occupied West Bank. Speaking at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly via video link, Abbas criticized the prevention of Palestine’s participation in the session while Israel continues its assaults on the Palestinian population.
The UN General Assembly permitted Abbas to address the session remotely after US visa limitations barred his physical attendance. Abbas described the conditions in Gaza as a genocidal war, accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians. He also highlighted the ongoing expansion of illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank and the imposition of restrictions in occupied Jerusalem.
He condemned the United States, the host country of the UNGA, for obstructing the Palestinian delegation’s attendance, calling it a violation of its responsibilities. Abbas emphasized the dire situation in Gaza, where people face killings, widespread destruction, and hunger. He noted that although US President Donald Trump had endorsed a peace plan, no tangible progress had been achieved.
Abbas stressed that the crisis in Gaza remains critical, with forced displacement and what he termed a genocidal war intensifying. He demanded the immediate removal of restrictions on Palestine and urged action to stop settler violence in the West Bank.
In a related address to the UN General Assembly the previous day, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian defended Tehran’s actions as self-defensive in response to attacks by the US and Israel. He rejected claims that Iran is a terrorist state and stated that its nuclear program is dedicated to peaceful development.
Pezeshkian argued that Iran seeks security without compromising others and opposed the notion that only a few nations should control nuclear energy. He also criticized the unrestricted access granted to certain parties through the Strait of Hormuz while they conduct operations against Iran.
The Iranian president dismissed accusations of terrorism, asserting that Iran had only responded to attacks and avoided targeting civilians. He questioned the logic of Iran addressing the UN if it were indeed a terrorist state. Furthermore, Pezeshkian accused the US and Israel of breaching international law, maintaining that Iran’s responses were acts of self-defense.
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