Abbas Warns U.N. That Israeli Policies Threaten Palestinians and Makes Case for Two States
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas told the U.N. General Assembly on September 24, 2026, that Israel's policies threaten the "very life and existence" of Palestinians. Al Jazeera
How he spoke to the U.N.
He spoke in a prerecorded address from his office in Ramallah. It was broadcast on Thursday, September 24, 2026, to the General Debate of the 81st Session. The General Debate is the yearly series of speeches by national leaders. He did not travel to New York. The United States denied visas to a Palestinian delegation to attend the General Assembly for the second year in a row.
The United Nations identifies Abbas as President of the State of Palestine. His address is listed on the General Debate programme as the State of Palestine intervention in the 81st Session. UN General Debate The debate website placed him as No. 4 in a speaker sequence after Zimbabwe, Madagascar and Ghana. It placed Israel's speaker, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as No. 16 in the same sequence.
What he said about Gaza and statehood
On September 24, 2026, Abbas said 'ethnic cleansing' was threatening the 'very existence' of Palestinians. On the same date, he accused Israel of waging a 'genocidal war' in Gaza. Yahoo News
He said saving the two-state solution begins with preserving the land on which the Palestinian state is to be established and protecting the people who live on it. The two-state solution is the idea of Israel and a Palestinian state living side by side as separate states. He added that Palestinians could live "alongside the state of Israel."
What he proposed for after the war and elections
On governance after the war, Abbas said any transitional period must lead to reunification of the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank under one Palestinian state with a single legitimate armed force. A transitional period means a temporary arrangement after fighting ends. A single legitimate armed force means one official security force. Separately, Hamas agreed to a 15-point roadmap that included disarmament of Hamas and other Palestinian factions, transfer of Gaza's administration to a Palestinian national committee, and a phased Israeli withdrawal. Phased means step by step.
Abbas said the Palestinian Authority plans to hold legislative elections on November 28, the first such vote in 20 years. Legislative elections choose lawmakers. He presented the date as part of a reform and legitimacy agenda tied to the broader diplomatic effort. The announcement was made as a plan. No result was reported.
How the U.N. recorded the session
The United Nations published coverage of the General Assembly's 9th and 10th meetings on 24 September including Abbas's address. UN Web TV hosts the video titled 'State of Palestine - General Debate, 81st Session'. UN Web TV The General Debate website provides daily schedule navigation for September 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 and 28, with Morning Session and Afternoon Session options.
The broader context here is a Palestinian leadership trying to link three issues that are often treated separately. Abbas described physical survival, separation into two states, and reunification of institutions as one sequence. Land comes first. People come first. Statehood follows. Reunification closes the process.
Looking at what this means for diplomacy, the conditions for transition set clear tests. A single legitimate armed force leaves no room for separate commands in Gaza and the West Bank. A Palestinian national committee as administrator suggests a neutral caretaker rather than a return to divided rule. A phased Israeli withdrawal ties security steps to political steps. Each element would need checking and enforcement steps that Abbas did not detail in the verified account of the speech.
In my view, the election date needs close watching. A November 28 legislative vote after a 20-year gap would test voter lists, rules for candidates, campaign access across divided territory, and international observation. It would also test whether a new legislature can come before or with reunification, and whether the result is accepted in both Ramallah and Gaza and by outside partners handling aid, security cooperation and negotiations.
