Abbas vows to work with Trump, UN and allies on Gaza peace plan | The Express Tribune

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas pledged at the United Nations on Thursday to work with US President Donald Trump, Saudi Arabia, France and the UN on a peace plan for Gaza overwhelmingly backed by the world body.

The 193-member General Assembly earlier this month endorsed a seven-page declaration that seeks to advance a two-state solution and end the Gaza war between Israel and Hamas. The declaration followed an international conference at the UN in July hosted by Saudi Arabia and France. The United States and Israel boycotted the event and rejected the effort.

Separately, US special envoy Steve Witkoff said Trump had presented a 21-point peace plan for the Middle East and Gaza during a meeting with leaders of Muslim-majority states on the sidelines of this week’s UN General Assembly.

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Abbas addressed the annual gathering of world leaders via video after the United States denied him a visa to travel to New York.

“Despite all that our people have suffered, we reject what Hamas carried out on October 7th – acts that targeted Israeli civilians and took them as hostages – because such actions do not represent the Palestinian people nor their just struggle for freedom and independence,” Abbas said.

“We have affirmed – and will continue to affirm – that Gaza is an integral part of the State of Palestine, and that we are ready to assume full responsibility for governance and security there. Hamas will have no role in governance, and it – along with other factions – must hand over its weapons to the Palestinian National Authority,” he added. “We reiterate that we do not want an armed state.”

No Future role for Hamas

He also rejected any future role for Hamas and condemned antisemitism, as he appealed for full global support for a state in the face of Israeli annexation threats.

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The points he raised were included in the declaration adopted by the General Assembly.

“We declare our readiness to work with President Donald Trump, with Saudi Arabia, France, the United Nations, and all partners to implement the peace plan” backed by the General Assembly, Abbas said.

The war in Gaza was triggered by the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, in which 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and about 251 taken hostage, according to Israeli figures. More than 65,000 people, also mostly civilians, have since been killed in Gaza, according to local health authorities.