World leaders rally for Gaza at UN General Assembly
Shafaq News – New York
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday voiced deep concern over the ongoing situation in Gaza, stating that nothing justifies the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.
Speaking at the opening of the UN General Assembly's annual session in New York, Guterres said the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is entering its third year, describing the level of death and destruction as surpassing that of any other conflict.
He added that famine has been declared in Gaza despite provisional measures issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), calling for their immediate implementation. Guterres urged the international community to assume its responsibilities.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, also addressing the assembly, called for an end to what he described as genocide in Gaza and demanded accountability for those he referred to as the perpetrators, in reference to the Israeli government.
“The Palestinian people are being exterminated while the world watches children being slaughtered,” Erdogan said, adding that Gaza is no longer habitable “for humans, animals, or even plants.” He displayed images of Palestinian children and said they are suffering from famine while the world remains passive.
Jordan’s King Abdullah II emphasized that peace in the region can only be achieved “when Palestinians and Israelis live side by side.” He criticized the “relentless and harsh Israeli assault” on Gaza, which he noted has continued for over two years, and warned of ongoing violations in Jerusalem.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva described the situation in Gaza as an “unjustifiable genocide,” warning that the Palestinian people face the threat of erasure and can only survive through the establishment of an independent state.
“Dozens of thousands of children and women have been buried in Gaza, and along with them, international law and the myth of Western morality,” he vowed, stating that hunger is being used as a weapon, while displacement continues.
He expressed regret that the host country of the assembly had prevented Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas from occupying Palestine’s designated seat at the meeting.
