1:09pm
Palestinian people face ‘most dangerous times’
The president of the Palestinian Authority condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank as “genocidal” in an address to the United Nations General Assembly today.
Mahmoud Abbas urged the UN to hold Israel accountable and to ensure the viability of the two-state solution.
“The danger is no longer limited to undermining the two-state solution and preventing the realisation of the Palestinian state,” Mr Abbas said. “It has now come to threaten the very life and existence of the Palestinian people on their homeland.”
Mr Abbas said: “I speak to you today as the Palestinian people face one of the most dangerous times of its history.
“What is the international community waiting for in order to protect the Palestinian people, ensure their continued presence on their land, end the Israeli occupation and implement the two-state solution on the basis of international legitimacy?”
He thanked the UK for the measures it had taken to “protect the two-state solution” after Andy Burnham’s government sanctioned Israeli settlements.
