UN General Assembly 2026: 'Do not allow another Nakba', Mahmoud Abbas warns

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has vehemently warned against a repeat of the Nakba during the 81st United Nations General Assembly, delivered via video due to a US visa ban on Palestinian officials. The 90-year-old Abbas accused Washington of punishing his government for pursuing a path of international law and slammed Israel for its settlement expansion, settler attacks, and air strikes on Gaza.

He emphasized that Palestinians are facing a threat to their existence and that the current situation is not an isolated incident but a malicious colonial scheme. Abbas urged the international community to prevent another Nakba, emphasizing that time is running out to implement the two-state solution based on international legitimacy.

The UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres, has described ongoing ceasefires as "lesser fires," while the Israeli occupation in the West Bank and Gaza continues to claim lives. Abbas lamented his government's peaceful efforts to address Palestinian rights, which have seemingly gone unfulfilled, while Israeli aggression persists.

He called for an end to the transitional period without clear political horizons and stressed the need for the international community to protect Palestinian lives and ensure their continued presence on their homeland.