Abbas says Palestinian state should govern postwar Gaza

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reiterated that the State of Palestine is the only legitimate authority capable of assuming full responsibility for governance and security in postwar Gaza while welcoming France and other countries in recognizing Palestinian statehood.

In an address to the International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution in New York on Monday, Abbas made a pledge that the Palestinian militant group Hamas would have no role in the Palestinian state's governance.

The president of Palestine and the Palestinian Authority took part in the high-level conference, co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France, virtually after the United States barred the Palestinian delegation from entering the country to attend the UN General Assembly session.

"The State of Palestine is the only legitimate authority qualified to assume full responsibility for governance and security in Gaza, through a temporary administrative committee linked to the Palestinian government in the West Bank, with Arab and international support," Abbas said during his video speech.

"Hamas will have no role in governance, and it, along with other factions, must hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority, because we want one unified state, without arms outside the framework of the law, under one legal system, and with one legitimate security force," he said.

At the UN meeting, Abbas also said he reaffirmed "condemnation of the crimes of the (Israeli) occupation, as we also condemn the killing and kidnapping of civilians, including what Hamas committed on Oct 7, 2023".

He said the State of Palestine is pursuing a comprehensive reform agenda to strengthen governance, transparency, and the rule of law.

At the conference, French President Emmanuel Macron announced official recognition of the Palestinian state and called for an end to the war in Gaza, adding that "breaking the cycle of violence lies in the recognition of the other".

The state and government leaders of Andorra, Belgium, Malta, Monaco, and Luxembourg also announced their formal recognition.

"Nothing justifies the ongoing war in Gaza. On the contrary, everything compels us to definitively end it," said Macron.

Co-chair Saudi Arabia reiterated its support for a two-state solution and called for the global recognition of Palestine.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud reaffirmed Riyadh's commitment to continue its partnership with France and all peace-seeking nations to follow up on the outcomes of Monday's conference, bring an end to the war in Gaza, and halt all unilateral measures that undermine Palestinian sovereignty.

Gratitude reiterated

He also reiterated gratitude to the countries that have recognized, or announced their intention to recognize, the State of Palestine.

In his remarks, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, thanked the governments of France and Saudi Arabia for convening the international conference on the two-state solution.

"Let's be clear: Statehood for the Palestinians is a right, not a reward. And denying statehood would be a gift to extremists everywhere. Without two states, there will be no peace in the Middle East, and radicalism will spread around the world," Guterres said.

Omar Awadallah, Palestine's assistant foreign minister for the UN and Specialized Agencies and part of the delegation of Abbas that was banned from traveling to the UN, said it was "regrettable" that the Palestinian delegation could not go to an organization where leaders go "to resolve conflicts peacefully".

"I think that banning our delegation is a signal they are not happy (with) our endeavor … (of) working with the UN to resolve the question of Palestine in a peaceful way," Awadallah told China Daily.

Despite the situation, he remained hopeful, especially with the official recognition of his state by the United Kingdom, which he said is "the correction of historic injustice" to the Palestinian people.

On Sunday, the UK, Australia, Canada and Portugal formally announced their recognition of the Palestinian state, in separate statements. "It's a message of hope for the Palestinian people at a time when our people are facing an existential threat," said Awadallah.

"The international community is answering Mr (Benjamin) Netanyahu that there will be a Palestinian state … of the native Palestinians who are still steadfast on (preserving) their homeland in the occupied territories since 1967," he added.

Despite this, Israel has begun a ground assault on Gaza City with few prospects for a truce, and wants Hamas to hand over the last hostages it seized in the 2023 attack on Israel.

Meanwhile, Fox News reported that Hamas has drafted a letter to US President Donald Trump, asking for a 60-day ceasefire in exchange for the immediate release of half of the hostages being detained within Gaza.