The Palestinian leader says ready to work with us for a two -state peace plan

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he was ready to work with world leaders to implement a peace plan for Israel and the Palestinians announced by France on Monday.

Speaking by video at the General Assembly of the United Nations, Abbas reiterated his rejection of a future role of governance for Hamas in Gaza and asked him to disarm him.

He also called countries that had not yet recognized a Palestinian state to do so and the UN to grant it to a full number of membership.

Abbas denounced the military offensive of Israel to Gaza, accusing him of committing “one of the most horrible humanitarian tragedies of the 20th and 21st centuries”. But he said that he had “rejected” Hamas’ actions in his attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

This attack, in which around 1,200 people – mainly civilians – were killed and 251 hostage, triggered the war in Gaza. At least 65,502 Palestinians, including about half of women and children, have been killed by Israeli military action in Gaza since then, according to the Ministry of Health managed by Gaza.

Abbas, 89, was prevented from going to New York to appear in person when he and 80 other Palestinian officials have revoked the United States Department of State by the United States Department of State.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused them of having undermined peace efforts and having sought “unilateral recognition of a conjectural Palestinian state”.

In his speech, Abbas thanked the countries that had recently recognized a Palestinian state in a wave of statements that started with Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom and Portugal on Sunday.

France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, San Marino, Andorra and Denmark followed.

The United States is currently opposed to recognizing Palestine, saying that such a decision is a reward for Hamas.

Abbas approved the peace plan announced by French President Emmanuel Macron at the summit on Monday, co -chaired by Saudi Arabia.

The plan provides for the simultaneous liberation of the remaining 48 hostages held by Hamas with the end of Israeli military operations in Gaza.

This would be followed by a transitional administration – including the Palestinian Authority of Abbas (PA) and excluding Hamas – to direct Gaza, paving the way for a “sovereign, independent and demilitarized Palestine”.

Neither the United States nor Israel has supported the plan.

Abbas said, however, that he was “read (Y) to work with President Donald Trump, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, France, the United Nations and all the partners to implement the peace plan … paving the way for just peace and complete regional cooperation”.

He also called on a Palestinian state to assume “complete responsibilities” for the Gaza Strip after an Israeli withdrawal and connect it to the West Bank occupied by Israeli. He said it would be done with Arab and international support.

Israel previously rejected any future post-war role for AP in Gaza.

The Palestinian president also said that there would be “national efforts to the reform, including the holding of the presidential and parliamentary elections in the year following the end of the war”.

“We want a democratic and modern state to be attached to international law, the rule of law, pluralism, peaceful transfer of power and the empowerment of women and young people.”

The last Palestinian national elections took place in 2006 and were won by Hamas.

The group violently ejected the faction of the Fatah of Abbas – their political rivals – from Gaza the following year, leaving it in the only power there.