The president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, has criticized Israeli leaders in a speech at the United Nations General Assembly. He accused them of destroying Gaza and making the territory unlivable, and he appealed to world leaders to stop what he called a “genocidal war.”
Abbas made the remarks on Thursday, saying Palestinians “will not leave” and “Palestine is our homeland.” He also called out officials in the administration of US President Joe Biden for providing Israel with weapons used to kill civilians.
Israel’s UN ambassador, Danny Danon, responded immediately. He pointed out that Abbas spoke for 26 minutes but did not once use the word “Hamas.” He also said that, since the October 7 attacks, Abbas has failed to condemn the militants for what he called “crimes against humanity.”