Abbas Speaks to the UN by Video After Visa Denial and Asks for Help to Enter Gaza
Mahmoud Abbas, president of the State of Palestine, addressed the UN General Assembly's eighty-first session by pre-recorded video on 24 September 2026.
The video was played on a screen in the Assembly hall. UN Web TV lists the recording as 'State of Palestine - General Debate, 81st Session,' with a production date of 24 Sep 2026 and a length of 00:23:54. The General Debate programme keeps a dedicated page for Palestine (State of) for the 81st session.
Why he spoke remotely
He did not travel to the United States. Abbas said in his address that his delegation was denied visas. The United States denied Abbas himself a visa to enter the country, France 24 reported on 24 September 2026.
The procedural answer was remote participation. The UN allowed Abbas and any other high-level Palestinian officials to take part in UN meetings or conferences by video over the next year, Reuters reported on 19 September 2026.
What he asked the UN to do
UN News reported on 24 September 2026 that Abbas told the Assembly that Israeli policies threaten the very life and existence of Palestinians and warned of "another Nakba." In the same speech, he urged the General Assembly, the main gathering where all UN member countries meet, to support a resolution, a formal decision, that would let the Palestinian leadership enter Gaza. The Palestinian Presidency records that appeal for Assembly action on access.
That wording follows his earlier framing. In a text published by the Palestinian presidency on 27 September 2020, Abbas told the UN that "the question of Palestine remains the greatest test for this international order and its credibility."
What to watch next
The broader context here is how the video format shapes what happens next. A video statement holds a place in the debate record and reaches all delegations at once. It also leaves less room for quick exchanges in the hall and for face-to-face talks on any follow-up text.
In my view, the Gaza request and the credibility language deserve close attention together. Abbas did not describe entry as a simple administrative step. He asked for a resolution to enable it, which would put questions of mandate, terms, and implementation inside a multilateral decision. Points to watch are the exact wording of any draft, its sponsors, and how it defines the role for the Palestinian leadership once inside Gaza, plus whether other statements echo the credibility framing, whether the video method affects the weight given to the appeal, and how the Assembly handles a request that joins humanitarian access, political authority, and questions of representation.
