New York [US], September 26: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday warned that the Palestinian people were facing "one of the most dangerous phases in their history," in a speech at the United Nations recorded in advance as the Palestinian delegation was denied US visas by Washington.
Addressing the UN General Assembly's annual debate, Abbas accused Israel of waging a "genocidal war" in the Gaza Strip and "fragmenting" the occupied West Bank through the expansion of settlements, warning that "settler terrorism" was on the rise.
Abbas went on to say that Israel's actions no longer only posed a threat to the two-state solution, but that the lives and very existence of the Palestinian people in their homeland were under threat.
The Palestinian president also called for the implementation of the peace plan for the Gaza Strip unveiled by the US last year.
Like last year, Abbas's speech was prerecorded and shown at the general debate on video as the Palestinian delegation was denied entry to the US to attend the meeting of world leaders.
Abbas accused the US of breaching its obligations as the host country.
Abbas is the head of the Palestinian Authority (PA), which administers parts of the West Bank. He has little support among the Palestinian population.
Several meetings on the Middle East conflict are planned on the sidelines of this year's general debate, including on a future administration of the Gaza Strip, which has been widely destroyed during the war between Israel and Hamas.
During last year's meeting, France, Britain, Canada and several other Western states recognized a Palestinian state. However, this has so far not translated into progress for Palestinians on the ground.
Source: Qatar Tribune
