UNITED NATIONS (AP) 鈥 The topics of Israel鈥檚 war with Hamas and fighting in Lebanon have dominated speeches at the U.N. General Assembly鈥檚 meeting this week. On Thursday, one side finally got the podium 鈥 including a moment of drama amid the ocean of words from the world's leaders.
The first words from head of the Palestinian Authority, were a single sentence repeated three times: 鈥淲e will not leave. We will not leave. We will not leave.鈥 Abbas used the rostrum of the U.N. General Assembly as he typically does 鈥 to criticize Israel. But this was the first time he did so since the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas on Israel that triggered an Israeli military operation that has devastated the Gaza Strip.
He accused Israel of destroying Gaza and making it unlivable. And he said that his government should govern post-war Gaza as part of an independent Palestinian state, a vision that Israel鈥檚 hardline government rejects.
Israel has maintained its military operations are justified and are necessary to defend itself. DANNY DANON, Israel鈥檚 U.N. ambassador, responded to Abbas鈥 speech within minutes with a critical assessment. 鈥淎bbas spoke for 26 minutes and did not say the word 鈥楬amas鈥 once. Since the massacre of Oct. 7, Abbas has failed to condemn Hamas for their crimes against humanity,鈥 he said. 鈥淥nly when he stands on the U.N. platform does he talk about a peaceful solution,鈥
Speaking later Thursday, Lebanon鈥檚 foreign minister called for an immediate cease-fire 鈥渙n all fronts." ABDALLAH BOUHABIB called Israel's actions 鈥渁cts that are tantamount to war crimes" and warned that continued violence at his nation鈥檚 border will 鈥渢ransform into a black hole that will engulf international and regional peace and security.鈥
Israeli Prime Minister is scheduled to address the General Assembly on Friday morning and arrived in New York on Thursday.
Here鈥檚 your daily guide to what鈥檚 going on at the United Nations this week:
From the podium
The president of Haiti鈥檚 transitional presidential council says he to fight gang violence still overwhelming authorities. It鈥檚 the first public support announced by a Haitian government official since the U.S. proposed a U.N. peacekeeping mission earlier this month as one way to secure more resources for a U.N.-backed mission led by Kenya that officials say lacks personnel and funding. EDGARD LEBLANC FILS said he's convinced that a change of status would guarantee the full success of the current mission.
Kenyan President WILLIAM RUTO said his country is committed to international peace citing participation in regional and U.N peacekeeping missions. Ruto said 382 Kenyan officers had been deployed to Haiti and said the support had advanced Haiti鈥檚 security, He and thanked member states that have supported the mission, and said insufficient equipment and logistics had hindered further deployment by other nations.
On the sidelines
TINY THINGS, OUTSIZED IMPACT: World leaders endorsed a call for action against the threat of antimicrobial resistance. Antimicrobial resistance is the term officials use for when bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi develop the ability to shrug off medicines that previously had controlled them. Eight years ago, the U.N. General Assembly adopted a declaration in which countries pledged to track cases and develop action plans. On Thursday, the U.N. held another high-level meeting and . This one calls for, among other things, sustainable national funding for antimicrobial resistance work and for an independent international panel focused on evidence-based measures to fight the problem. It also set a goal of reducing superbug-associated deaths by 10% by 2030.
RESPECTING ELECTION RESULTS: The United States and Argentina are leading calls for countries around the world to step up pressure on Venezuelan President NICOLAS MADURO to respect the result of July鈥檚 elections and cede power. Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN and Argentine Foreign Minister DIANA MONDINO co-hosted an event on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly to urge others to boost their efforts to isolate Maduro ahead of a Jan. 10 inauguration ceremony, at which he will be sworn in for another term despite losing the election to the opposition, according to most analysts and observers.
GRIDLOCK: The General Assembly always brings a suite of police barricades to streets around the U.N. But the headquarters and some other parts of midtown Manhattan were ensconced in a shifting set of blocked streets and sidewalks Thursday evening because of protests related to Netanyahu鈥檚 arrival in New York ahead of his assembly speech.
Climate moment
A trio of leaders of international climate negotiations urged colleagues to step up efforts to fight global warming, but outside groups and endangered nations told those leaders to look in the mirror, take their own advice and stop pumping out fossil fuels. At the United Nations, the troika of the current and next two presidents of U.N. climate conferences told other leaders to make their required climate-fighting targets 鈥 due next February 鈥 much more ambitious. New national plans should be aligned with the goal of limiting warming to (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) since pre-industrial times, urged the trio of leaders from the United Arab Emirates, Azerbaijan and Brazil.
Longtime climate negotiation analysts ALDEN MEYER of the think tank E3G and BILL HARE, CEO of Climate Analytics, which tracks emissions pledges, said the negotiation chiefs from the UAE, Azerbaijan and Brazil were big on soaring rhetoric, but their own nations鈥 actions fell far short.
Voices you might have missed
鈥淭he line that divides the legal from the just is sometimes merely a crack, but other times it is a deep gap and even an abyss. That gap, that abyss, most often and most severely affects the small nations and states that are the first victims of the clash between force and justice, because it can be an insurmountable obstacle to realizing the right to progress.鈥
鈥擥ORDANA SILJANOVSKA-DAVKOVA, president of the Republic of North Macedonia
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鈥淒oom and gloom are not the hallmark of leadership.鈥
鈥擠OMINIQUE HASLER, Liechtenstein's minister for foreign affairs, education and sport
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鈥淚 can only note that women have been underrepresented this week at the General Debate.鈥
鈥擬ARIA MALMER STENERGARD, Sweden's foreign minister
Something you might not know
paid a visit to the U.N. General Assembly, brought there by Fils, the president of Haiti鈥檚 transitional council. In his speech, he referenced false claims that Haitians living in Springfield, Ohio, were eating cats and dogs 鈥 and made clear his country's concerns about the repercussions.
鈥淚 would like to extend a brotherly greeting to all friends of Haiti that have shown solidarity towards the migrants from our country 鈥 and in particular those living in Springfield, Ohio,鈥 he said. 鈥淭he passions that naturally arise during an election campaign should never serve as a pretext for xenophobia or racism in a country such as the United States, a country forged by immigrants from all countries, and which has become a model of democracy for the world.鈥
The debunked information found its international spotlight in the U.S. presidential debate earlier this month, in which former President DONALD TRUMP repeated the claims that have circulated on the internet and been amplified by his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD VANCE. During the debate with Vice President KAMALA HARRIS, Trump saying that immigrants were taking over the city. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e eating the dogs. They鈥檙e eating the cats. They鈥檙e eating the pets of the people that live there,鈥 he said.
One notable number
Number of years since North Korea has engaged with the international community on its nuclear program, head of the U.N.'s nuclear agency: 16
Quotable
鈥淭he authoritarian wind鈥檚 blowing."
鈥擬ondino, speaking of the refusal of Maduro to step down after analysts agree he lost the election.
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鈥淚n a competition of pain, there can be no winner.鈥
鈥擜NNALENA BAERBOCK, Germany's foreign minister
Up next
Netanyahu, facing military operations in Gaza and Lebanon and criticism from many quarters, is scheduled to speak on Friday. Protests around his visit are expected as well.
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AP writers Seth Borenstein, Michael Weissenstein, Matthew Lee, Mike Stobbe and Ted Anthony contributed. See more of AP鈥檚 coverage of the U.N. General Assembly at
