Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas rejected Hamas’ future role and condemned antisemitism on Thursday, calling for complete international support for a state in the face of Israeli annexation threats.
Days after France chaired a special meeting and other Western governments recognized Palestine as a state, the 89-year-old leader was compelled to address the UN General Assembly via video after the US denied him a visa to visit New York.
Abbas maintained a moderate tone throughout his speech, explicitly addressing important concerns of Israel and the United States, particularly Hamas, which is located in Gaza and competes with his Fatah faction.
Hamas will not play a part in government. “Hamas and other factions will have to hand over their weapons to the Palestinian National Authority,” Abbas stated in a speech that drew loud applause from delegates watching the video.
According to Abbas, the Israeli attack on Gaza, which lasted for almost two years, was “one of the most horrific chapters of humanitarian tragedy of the 20th and 21st century”—implying that it was comparable to the Holocaust.
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