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World leaders gathered successful New York from September 23 to 29 for the 80th league of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
Israel faced increasing isolation arsenic talker aft talker condemned its ongoing warfare connected Gaza, and delegates from aggregate countries staged walkouts erstwhile Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the stage. Many diplomats near the enclosure successful protestation during his speech.
Outside the UN headquarters, ample crowds filled the streets successful enactment of Palestinians and to protestation against Netanyahu, who faces an International Criminal Court (ICC) apprehension warrant for alleged warfare crimes. While the United States and a tiny radical of allies continued to basal by Israel, the overwhelming chorus of disapproval highlighted its increasing isolation connected the planetary stage.
Below are notable quotes from leaders astir the satellite connected Israel’s genocidal war.
UN chief
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the warfare connected Gaza arsenic dissimilar immoderate different struggle helium has witnessed during his tenure, informing of its devastating scale. He pointed to International Court of Justice (ICJ) rulings that ordered Israel to forestall genocide, let investigations and alteration greater humanitarian access.
Brazil
By tradition, Brazil is ever the archetypal state to speak, a signifier that began successful 1955 erstwhile it volunteered to unfastened the debate.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva framed Palestine arsenic the starkest illustration of disproportionate and amerciable usage of force.
He cautioned that the Palestinian radical hazard disappearing unless they execute an autarkic authorities afloat integrated into the planetary community.
United States
Next to the podium was US President Donald Trump.
In a astir hourlong speech, Trump dismissed the relation of the UN, criticised migration and clime policies, praised US subject strength, and attacked European allies for nationalist decline.
On Palestine, helium demanded the contiguous merchandise of each captives and warned that unilateral designation of a Palestinian authorities would magnitude to “a reward to Hamas for its horrible atrocities”.
Indonesia
President Prabowo Subianto told the UNGA that Indonesia is acceptable to deploy 20,000 peacekeepers to Gaza – oregon “anywhere” bid is needed, including Ukraine.
Framing Gaza’s plight done Indonesia’s ain past of assemblage suffering, helium drew parallels betwixt his nation’s past and the struggles of Palestinians today.
He urged the UN not to stay soundless portion Palestinians are “denied justness and legitimacy” successful its precise hall, reminding delegates that the instauration exists to support some “the beardown and the weak”.
Turkiye
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan opened his code by criticising Washington for denying visas to Palestinian Authority (PA) officials, including President Mahmoud Abbas, successful usurpation of the UN big agreement.
Erdogan devoted overmuch of his code to Israel’s warfare connected Gaza, showing delegates photos of women waiting for nutrient and a severely malnourished child. “Can we perchance person a tenable crushed for this brutality successful 2025?” helium asked, calling the concern 1 of humanity’s darkest moments.
He demanded an contiguous ceasefire, unhindered humanitarian assistance and accountability for those committing genocide.
Jordan
Jordan’s King Abdullah II warned that failing to code the warfare connected Gaza would “signal acceptance of the concern and abandonment of our humanity”. He described the struggle arsenic “one of the darkest moments successful this institution’s history”, stressing that Palestinian suffering has spanned the precise beingness of the UN.
He argued that interim agreements person failed, often serving lone arsenic a screen for Israel’s onshore grabs, colony enlargement and location demolitions.
Lasting security, helium said, volition travel lone done a two-state solution – an autarkic and viable Palestinian authorities with presently occupied East Jerusalem arsenic its capital, alongside Israel.
Qatar
Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani condemned Israel for what helium called a “treacherous attack” connected September 9 that targeted a Hamas negotiating delegation successful Doha. He described the onslaught arsenic a governmental assassination that undermines diplomatic efforts to extremity the genocide successful Gaza, arguing it shows Israel has go a “rogue state”.
He warned that Israel’s existent purpose is to render Gaza uninhabitable.
“Their extremity is to destruct Gaza truthful that it is unlivable and wherever nary 1 tin survey oregon person treatment.”
South Africa
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa utilized his UN code to item the lawsuit his state is starring astatine the ICJ, pressing for a ruling that Israel is committing genocide successful Gaza. He cited a caller UN committee study that reached the aforesaid conclusion.
He noted a “growing planetary consensus” that Israel is committing genocide, and said South Africa’s lawsuit aims to “save lives by insisting that the ICJ should regularisation that genocide is being committed successful Gaza – and that it indispensable stop.”
Lebanon
President Joseph Aoun told the UNGA that portion helium speaks of peace, improvement and quality rights, galore Lebanese citizens look decease daily, parts of Lebanon stay nether occupation, and the state lives successful “persistent uncertainty”.
Aoun called for the afloat implementation of UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 1701, demanding an extremity to Israeli aggression, the withdrawal of occupying forces from Lebanese territory, and the merchandise of Lebanese prisoners from Israeli jails.
On Gaza, Aoun said the devastation indispensable extremity immediately, and helium reaffirmed Lebanon’s enactment for a two-state solution arsenic the lone way to lasting peace.
France
Following France’s determination earlier successful the week to formally recognise Palestinian statehood, President Emmanuel Macron called connected much countries to travel suit successful the sanction of peace.
He said the UN’s 80th day indispensable beryllium a infinitesimal of renewal.
Macron backed the New York Declaration, signed by 142 states, which calls for the merchandise of captives, stabilisation of Gaza, dismantling of Hamas and designation of Israel and Palestine. He urged remaining countries to endorse it and pressed for a governmental solution that ensures lasting peace.
Colombia
Colombian President Gustavo Petro accused the UNGA of being a “mute witness” to genocide successful Gaza, wherever much than 60,000 radical person been killed.
He urged subordinate states to bypass the UNSC’s repeated vetoes and instrumentality binding enactment done the UNGA.
“Diplomacy has been tried successful Gaza,” Petro said, informing that each time “more children die, much bombs fall, much bodies are destroyed”.
Spain
Opening the 2nd time of the General Debate, Spain’s King Felipe VI told the UNGA that “the dignity of the quality being is non-negotiable”, describing the UN arsenic “indispensable and irreplaceable” successful defending a rules-based bid against the “law of the strongest”.
Turning to Gaza, helium condemned the devastation and wide displacement caused by Israel’s war, portion denouncing Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attacks.
Syria
President Ahmad al-Sharaa, addressing the UNGA for the archetypal clip since Syria’s governmental transition, framed its caller past arsenic a conflict betwixt “truth and falsehood”, marked by years of tyranny, warfare crimes and destruction.
Al-Sharaa warned against renewed Israeli threats during Syria’s fragile transition, reaffirming his country’s committedness to sovereignty and dialogue. He called for the lifting of sanctions, inviting planetary concern to assistance rebuild the nation.
On Gaza, helium said Syria’s ain suffering makes it “stand firmly with the radical of Gaza”, and called for an contiguous extremity to the war.
Iran
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian framed the UN’s 80th day taxable – “Better Together” – arsenic a telephone to solidarity rooted successful timeless motivation principles shared crossed faiths and philosophies: to tendency for others what 1 desires for oneself. He urged leaders to instrumentality to these values, informing that today’s planetary bid falls dangerously short.
Pointing to what helium called “genocide successful Gaza”, the demolition of homes successful Lebanon, Syria’s devastation, Yemen’s famine, and the assassination of Iranian scientists, helium condemned repeated violations of sovereignty carried retired nether the guise of self-defence. Such acts, helium said, betray the precise foundations of humanity.
Palestine
In a prerecorded video message, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told the UNGA that Gaza has endured “a warfare of genocide, destruction, starvation and displacement” that has killed oregon wounded much than 220,000 people, mostly civilians.
He denounced Israeli colony unit and rejected Netanyahu’s imaginativeness of a “greater Israel”, accusing settlers of sidesplitting Palestinians “in wide daylight nether the extortion of the concern army”.
Abbas besides distanced the PA from Hamas, condemning its October 2023 attacks and insisting the radical “will not person a relation to play successful governance” successful Gaza.
Ghana
Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama sharply criticised the ongoing warfare successful Gaza and the attraction of the Palestinian delegation astatine the UN.
He warned that the denial of visas to PA person Abbas and his squad “sets a atrocious precedent” for the UNGA, stressing that Ghana has agelong recognised the State of Palestine and supports a two-state solution.
United Kingdom
UK Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy called the concern successful Gaza “indefensible” and “utterly unjustifiable”, urging an contiguous extremity to the suffering. He said Palestinians – whose authorities the UK had conscionable recognised – and Israelis “deserve better”.
While condemning Hamas’s October 2023 attacks, Lammy besides denounced Israel’s blockade of assistance that has driven famine successful Gaza, insisting that lone urgent diplomatic enactment could extremity the crisis.
Yemen
Rashad Mohammed al-Alimi, president of Yemen, described Gaza arsenic a “wound that continues to bleed”, describing some Yemen and Palestine arsenic “the motivation investigating ground” for the UN – places wherever the “might of right” indispensable face the “right of might”.
Expressing solidarity with the PA, helium urged each states that person not yet recognised Palestine to bash so.
Israel
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the UNGA that Israel has crushed Hamas, Hezbollah, now-ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces, and Iran’s proxies, portion severely damaging Iran’s atomic and rocket programmes successful a associated run with the US. He warned that Iran indispensable not beryllium allowed to rebuild its military nuclear capacities, urging UN sanctions to “snap back”.
He recounted the October 2023 Hamas attacks arsenic the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust and accused Hamas of utilizing civilians arsenic quality shields. He rejected accusations of genocide, arguing Israel has taken unprecedented measures to minimise casualties portion providing nutrient assistance to Gaza.
He insisted Israel volition ne'er judge a Palestinian authorities imposed aft the October 2023 attacks.
Pakistan
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told the UNGA that Israel’s “genocidal onslaught” successful Gaza has unleashed “unspeakable terror” connected women and children, calling it 1 of the darkest chapters successful history. He urged contiguous enactment for a ceasefire, saying the satellite “failed Hind Rajab”, the Palestinian kid whose last pleas were broadcast globally.
Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s enactment for a sovereign Palestinian authorities with pre-1967 borders and East Jerusalem arsenic its capital, urging much countries to travel caller recognitions of Palestinian statehood.
Ireland
Taoiseach Micheal Martin, the Irish premier minister, told the UNGA that Gaza is present a “catastrophe of the astir monumental and consequential kind”.
“We are each witnesses to the immense wrath of 1 of the world’s astir modern and best-equipped armies brought to carnivore connected a trapped and defenceless civilian population,” helium declared.
Bangladesh
Muhammad Yunus, main advisor to the interim authorities of Bangladesh, said Dhaka agrees with a UN quality rights commission’s uncovering that Israel has committed genocide successful Gaza.
“We bash hold with the UN autarkic planetary enquiry committee that we are witnessing a genocide happening live,” helium said.
Russia
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Israel is seeking to “blow up” the full of the Middle East arsenic helium criticised its attacks connected Iran and Qatar and opposed calls to annex the occupied West Bank.
He questioned the hold successful recognising Palestine by Western governments, suggesting they hoped determination would soon beryllium “nothing and nary 1 near to recognise”.
Calling for urgent enactment to sphere Palestinian rights, helium linked the Gaza warfare to a wider signifier of Western treble standards, accusing the US and its allies of sabotaging diplomacy and undermining the UN system.
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud condemned Israel’s “brutal and unchecked” practices successful Gaza, including starvation, forced displacement and systematic killing, stressing the famine designation by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).
He called for urgent enactment to extremity the aggression. He welcomed caller recognitions of Palestine by countries including France, the UK, Canada, Australia and respective European states.
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