Abbas tells U.N. General Assembly: Palestinian Authority ready to govern Gaza

Don’t miss the full story, whose reporting from Farnoush Amiri and Lee Keath at The Associated Press is the basis of this AI-assisted article.

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas addressed the U.N. General Assembly via video after the U.S. revoked his visa, rejecting the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel while demanding Hamas surrender weapons and relinquish governance of Gaza to his Palestinian Authority.

Some key facts:

• Abbas told world leaders that Hamas must have no role in governing Gaza after the war ends.

• The Palestinian leader said Hamas must hand over all weapons to his Palestinian Authority, which is ready to take full responsibility for governance and security in Gaza.

• Abbas accused Israel of conducting “a war of genocide, destruction, starvation and displacement” against Palestinians in Gaza, calling it a war crime and crime against humanity.

• His speech came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was heading to New York to address the General Assembly in person on Friday.

• Abbas thanked countries including France, the U.K. and Canada for recently recognizing Palestinian statehood, calling for remaining countries to do the same.

• Netanyahu’s government has rejected creating a Palestinian state and says Israel will maintain security control over Gaza, rejecting any role for Abbas’ Palestinian Authority.

• Israel’s Gaza campaign has killed more than 65,000 people and wounded over 167,000, with more than 90% of housing destroyed and most of the 2 million population displaced, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.

• The conflict began when Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostage, with 48 captives remaining in Gaza.

​READ MORE: Palestinian president: Hamas will have no role in governing postwar Gaza