Mahmoud Abbas tells UN – Middle East crisis live
By Guardian - Tom Ambrose/Patrick Wintour-Thu 25 Sep 2025 14.46 BST
Speech by Palestinian Authority president comes as growing number of countries recognise a Palestinian state.
Israel carrying out crime against humanity in Gaza, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas tells UN
Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas is now addressing the floor via Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas
He says that Israel has “imposed a stifling siege on an entire people” and says that it is “not merely an aggression; it is a war crime and a crime against humanity”.
Abbas says, the West Bank, Israel continues to illegally expand its settlements. He says Palestine rejects and “completely deplores” plans for a “Greater Israel”.
14.45 BST
Abbas says religious sites have not been spared from Israeli attacks, with mosques and churches being destroyed in contravention with international law.
He says he condemns the actions of Hamas on 7 October 2023. He says the group’s actions “do not represent the Palestinian people”.
He reinforces that the Gaza Strip is an “integral” part of the state of Palestine and says Hamas will play no role in future governance. They will have to hand over their weapons, he says.
“We reiterate that we do not want an armed state,” Abbas tells the floor via VIDEO LINK.
Israel carrying out crime against humanity in Gaza, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas tells UN
Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas is now addressing the floor via video link.
He says that Israel has “imposed a stifling siege on an entire people” and says that it is “not merely an aggression; it is a war crime and a crime against humanity”.
Abbas says, the West Bank, Israel continues to illegally expand its settlements. He says Palestine rejects and “completely deplores” plans for a “Greater Israel”.
14.45 BST
Israeli forces struck the Yemeni capital Sana’a on Thursday, the South-run Al Masirah TV said.
The broadcaster did not immediately give any further details on the attack, Reuters reported.
14.31 BST
Yemen needs its own two-state solution, the president of its Southern Transitional Council (STC) has said, warning that there is currently no prospect of dislodging the Iran-backed Houthis from power in the north.
Speaking on the sidelines of the UN general assembly, Aidarous al-Zubaidi told the Guardian: “The best solution for Yemen and the best path to stability is the two-state solution, whether by referendum or agreement. The reality on the ground is that there are two states militarily and economically.”
Between 1967 and 1990 the Arab world’s poorest nation was divided in two, with the Yemen Arab Republic in the north and the communist People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen in the south. The two states reunited in 1990 but in 2014 Houthi rebels seized the capital, Sana’a, unleashing a catastrophic civil war that displaced more than 4.5 million people before a 2022 ceasefire.
In March 2015, a Saudi-led coalition launched an air campaign to prevent the rebels from overrunning the country’s south, while the Houthis have used drones and missiles to attack Saudi Arabia and have targeted vessels in the Red Sea. This year hundreds of civilians were killed in a two-month US bombing campaign against the Houthis.
Yemen remains divided between north and south, but is still treated as a unitary state by the international community. Zubaidi said there was no prospect of removing the Houthis through bombing alone and little hope of a political settlement.
Yemen needs two-state solution as no prospect of ousting Houthis, says southern leaderRead more
14.11 BST
Opening summary: Abbas to address UN via video link shortly
The Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will address the United Nations General Assembly shortly as the US weighs whether to try to stop Israeli annexation of the West Bank, despite opposing him.
The speech by the veteran 89-year-old comes as a slew of Western nations recognise the state of Palestine.
Donald Trump’s administration adamantly rejected statehood and, in a highly unusual step, barred Abbas and his senior aides from traveling to New York for the gathering of world leaders.
The general assembly overwhelmingly voted to let Abbas address the world body with a video message. We will be covering his speech here.
Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed not to allow a Palestinian state, and far-right members of his cabinet have threatened to annex the West Bank in a bid to kill any prospect of true independence. The Israeli PM will address the general assembly tomorrow.
In other developments:
- Yemen’s President of the Presidential Leadership Council, Mohammed Al-Alimi, will address the general assembly after Abbas. The Saudi-backed PLC holds power in the south of the country, but the Iran-backed Houthis control much of Yemen and are now locked in conflict with Israel.
- Activists in a flotilla seeking to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza said Wednesday that some of their boats were attacked by drones. The Global Sumud Flotilla said that “at least 13 explosions” were heard, while drones or aircraft dropped “unidentified objects” on at least 10 boats. No casualties were reported, but there was damage to the vessels.
- Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is meeting Donald Trump at the White House. The Turkish president has been one of the world’s most vocal critics of Israel for its operations in Gaza. Colleagues on our US blog will be covering their talks.
14.12 BST
Explore more on these topics
- World news
- Middle East crisis live
- Israel
- Gaza
- Palestinian territories
- West Bank
- Mahmoud Abbas
- Yemen
14.43 BST
Israel carrying out crime against humanity in Gaza, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas tells UN
Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas is now addressing the floor via video link.
He says that Israel has “imposed a stifling siege on an entire people” and says that it is “not merely an aggression; it is a war crime and a crime against humanity”.
Abbas says, the West Bank, Israel continues to illegally expand its settlements. He says Palestine rejects and “completely deplores” plans for a “Greater Israel”.
14.45 BST
Abbas says religious sites have not been spared from Israeli attacks, with mosques and churches being destroyed in contravention with international law.
He says he condemns the actions of Hamas on 7 October 2023. He says the group’s actions “do not represent the Palestinian people”.
He reinforces that the Gaza Strip is an “integral” part of the state of Palestine and says Hamas will play no role in future governance. They will have to hand over their weapons, he says.
“We reiterate that we do not want an armed state,” Abbas tells the floor via video link.
Israel carrying out crime against humanity in Gaza, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas tells UN
Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas is now addressing the floor via video link.
He says that Israel has “imposed a stifling siege on an entire people” and says that it is “not merely an aggression; it is a war crime and a crime against humanity”.
Abbas says, the West Bank, Israel continues to illegally expand its settlements. He says Palestine rejects and “completely deplores” plans for a “Greater Israel”.
Updated at 14.45 BST
Israeli forces struck the Yemeni capital Sana’a on Thursday, the South-run Al Masirah TV said.
The broadcaster did not immediately give any further details on the attack, Reuters reported.
14.31 BST
Yemen needs its own two-state solution, the president of its Southern Transitional Council (STC) has said, warning that there is currently no prospect of dislodging the Iran-backed Houthis from power in the north.
Speaking on the sidelines of the UN general assembly, Aidarous al-Zubaidi told the Guardian: “The best solution for Yemen and the best path to stability is the two-state solution, whether by referendum or agreement. The reality on the ground is that there are two states militarily and economically.”
Between 1967 and 1990 the Arab world’s poorest nation was divided in two, with the Yemen Arab Republic in the north and the communist People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen in the south. The two states reunited in 1990 but in 2014 Houthi rebels seized the capital, Sana’a, unleashing a catastrophic civil war that displaced more than 4.5 million people before a 2022 ceasefire.
In March 2015, a Saudi-led coalition launched an air campaign to prevent the rebels from overrunning the country’s south, while the Houthis have used drones and missiles to attack Saudi Arabia and have targeted vessels in the Red Sea. This year hundreds of civilians were killed in a two-month US bombing campaign against the Houthis.
Yemen remains divided between north and south but is still treated as a unitary state by the international community. Zubaidi said there was no prospect of removing the Houthis through bombing alone and little hope of a political settlement.
Yemen needs two-state solution as no prospect of ousting Houthis, says southern leader
14.11 BST
Opening summary: Abbas to address UN via video link shortly
The Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas will address the United Nations general assembly shortly as the US weighs whether to try to stop Israeli annexation of the West Bank, despite opposing him.
The speech by the veteran 89-year-old comes as a slew of Western nations recognise the state of Palestine.
Donald Trump’s administration adamantly rejected statehood and, in a highly unusual step, barred Abbas and his senior aides from traveling to New York for the gathering of world leaders.
The general assembly overwhelmingly voted to let Abbas address the world body with a video message. We will be covering his speech here.
Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed not to allow a Palestinian state and far-right members of his cabinet have threatened to annex the West Bank in a bid to kill any prospect of true independence. The Israeli PM will address the general assembly tomorrow.
In other developments:
- Yemen’s President of the Presidential Leadership Council, Mohammed Al-Alimi, will address the general assembly after Abbas. The Saudi-backed PLC hold power in the south of the country but the Iran-backed Houthis control much of Yemen and are now locked in conflict with Israel.
- Activists in a flotilla seeking to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza said Wednesday that some of their boats were attacked by drones. The Global Sumud Flotilla said that “at least 13 explosions” were heard, while drones or aircraft dropped “unidentified objects” on at least 10 boats. No casualties were reported, but there was damage to the vessels.
- Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is meeting Donald Trump at the White House. The Turkish president has been one of the world’s most vocal critics of Israel for its operations in Gaza. Colleagues on our US blog will be covering their talks.
