Palestinian chief says able to work with US for two-state peace plan

[ad_1] Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has mentioned he is able to work with world leaders to implement a peace plan for Israel and the Palestinians introduced by France on Monday.

Talking by way of video on the UN Basic Meeting, Abbas reiterated his rejection of a future governing function for Hamas in Gaza and demanded it disarm.

He additionally known as on international locations which had not but recognised a Palestinian state to take action, and for the UN to grant it full membership.

Abbas denounced Israel's navy offensive in Gaza, accusing it of committing "probably the most horrific humanitarian tragedies of the twentieth and twenty first Centuries". However he mentioned he "rejected" the actions of Hamas in its assault on Israel on 7 October 2023.

That assault, wherein about 1,200 folks - largely civilians - have been killed and 251 taken hostage, triggered the warfare in Gaza. At the very least 65,502 Palestinians, about half of them girls and youngsters, have been killed by Israeli navy motion in Gaza since then, in accordance with Gaza's Hamas-run well being ministry.

Abbas, 89, was barred from travelling to New York to seem in individual when he and 80 different Palestinian officers had their visas revoked by the US state division final month.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio blamed them for undermining peace efforts and for searching for "the unilateral recognition of a conjectural Palestinian state".

In his speech, Abbas thanked these international locations which had lately recognised a Palestinian state in a wave of declarations which started with Canada, Australia, the UK and Portugal on Sunday.

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

The US is at present against recognising Palestine, saying such a transfer is a reward for Hamas.

Abbas endorsed the peace plan introduced by French President Emmanuel Macron at Monday's summit, which was co-chaired by Saudi Arabia.

The plan requires the simultaneous launch of the 48 remaining hostages held by Hamas with an finish to Israeli navy operations throughout Gaza.

That might be adopted by a transitional administration - together with Abbas's Palestinian Authority (PA) and excluding Hamas - to run Gaza, paving the best way for a "sovereign, impartial, and demilitarised State of Palestine".

Neither the US nor Israel have supported the plan.

Abbas although mentioned he was "learn[y] to work with President Donald Trump, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, France, the United Nations, and all companions to implement the peace plan... paving the best way towards a simply peace and complete regional co-operation".

He additionally known as for a Palestinian state to imagine "full duties" for the Gaza Strip following an Israeli withdrawal and join it with the Israeli-occupied West Financial institution. He mentioned this is able to be accomplished with Arab and worldwide help.

Israel has beforehand rejected any future post-war function for the PA in Gaza.

The Palestinian president additionally mentioned there can be "nationwide efforts towards reform, together with holding presidential and parliamentary elections inside one yr of the warfare's finish".

"We would like a democratic, trendy state dedicated to worldwide regulation, rule of regulation, pluralism, peaceable switch of energy, and the empowerment of girls and youth."