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Israeli Military Carries Out "Precise Strikes" in Beirut; Hurricane Helene Now Cat 2 and Strengthening; Deadly Strikes in Gaza Continue; PA President Mahmoud Abbas Addresses UNGA. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired September 26, 2024 - 10:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is CONNECT THE WORLD with Becky Anderson.

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST (voice-over): Welcome to our second hour of CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi, where the time is 6 pm.

It is 10:00 am on the East Coast of the United States.

And right now the southeastern U.S. bracing for a catastrophic storm. Hurricane Helene could potentially reach catastrophic category 4 strength

by the time it makes landfall in Florida later today. We're live there with the very latest for you.

International and regional diplomats scrambling to achieve a ceasefire in southern Lebanon as Israeli strikes continue to batter the area. We're live

in Tyre (ph) this hour.

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ANDERSON: In the Middle East, the Lebanese capital is hit again as U.S. scrambles to end the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. Israel says it

carried out, quote, "precise strikes" on Beirut. Today, state run Lebanese media says that missiles hit a building in the southern suburbs.

It is an area where much of Hezbollah's leadership is based. This as the United States, France and other allies work on what they hope is a

ceasefire deal or at least a plan in principle.

The Israeli prime minister, who is due in the United States any minute now to attend the U.N. General Assembly in New York, is dismissing the prospect

of a ceasefire anytime soon.

Right.

Let's bring the team. Nic Robertson, Alex Marquardt, back with us this hour from Israel and New York, respectively. And we are joined by CNN's Ben

Wedeman, who is on the ground in southern Lebanon.

And Ben, I'm going to start with you. At the scene of numerous attacks, multiple attacks at this point, deadly attacks by the Israelis and just in

the past 24 hours, more loss of life. Just describe where you are and what's been going on there.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Becky, we're in Tyre, this exact same spot from which we covered the 2006 war. And what

we're seeing are very similar scenes.

The hills behind us, there have been a variety of airstrikes causing great big plumes of smoke and dust to rise into the sky. And I'm hearing

something in the background but I can't see quite what it is. I think it's interceptions by the Iron Dome system.

And what we're seeing also in addition to these strikes is the massive disruption that has been caused by this war that began in full force on

Monday, with Israel's version of shock and awe.

What we saw, for instance, as we were driving here from Beirut, driving through the town, the city of Sidon, is that thousands of people have fled

from the south to the relative safety of Sidon, where the schools are full of the displaced.

We went to the municipality there. They basically said that this city is at full capacity in terms of hosting the displaced. So there awe essentially

people just sleeping outside in the open on whatever they can find.

We spoke to one woman, Hum Hamid (ph), who had walked with her two sons for 12 hours from southern Lebanon to get to safer ground. Her feet were

blistered. One of her sons was sick, covered in a blanket in front of the municipality.

Yes, I'm seeing some distant smoke on the horizon so, yes, I mean, massive disruption. This is just the sense of deja vu one feels here yet again,

covering yet another war here in south Lebanon -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Good to have you, Ben. We will get back to you as and when.

But Ben on the ground, describing what people there are going through.

Nic, let me get to you before I get the kind of wider story out of New York from Alex.

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We know that prime minister Netanyahu is on his way to New York, should be arriving anytime soon. We also know that, despite the announcement of this

ceasefire proposal, U.S. and French led in New York overnight Middle Eastern time, the prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu said, fight

on, forces. Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, and they are, the targeted strike in Beirut witness to that, in the last couple of hours. The

strikes along the border with Syria, where the IDF says that these are locations that Hezbollah uses to bring weapons into Lebanon.

The strikes overnight in the upper Bekaa, the strikes along the border that Ben is witness to right now, it continues full force and the projecting the

image of forces part of that as well.

The IDF released more video of more troops close to the border with Lebanon in training, preparations for it correct in place, in case they go across.

The only way to read media releases like that from the IDF of troops training late night with a message around it is this is clearly part of

either the negotiations, the pressure or what to expect, that these troops will be going across.

That's part of the messaging. The messaging being read by Israel here this morning, 45 projectiles the IDF said that they counted coming from

Hezbollah within the past hour. Another 40 projectiles coming from Hezbollah, landing in the upper Galilee.

So the incoming rockets, missiles coming from Hezbollah today not quite at the pace of yesterday. But compare today with where we were two weeks ago.

This is -- this is a massive, significant step-change.

And the idea that talks that were trying to end the lower level of conflict that was going on a few weeks ago and have been going on for almost a year,

that they could now draw down the massive scale of what's happening at the moment, it just seems the messaging and intent from here.

And what we heard from the foreign minister, for example, saying the only thing we're going to do is keep going until Hezbollah pulls back from the

border. It's very clear where the messaging is behind the prime minister, as he arrives in New York for whatever elements of diplomacy he engages in

there.

ANDERSON: So let's bring in Alex.

And what do we know about this ceasefire proposal, Alex?

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, only that they -- the sides had hoped that it would be 21 days of pause.

And during that time, there would be further negotiations to ultimately lead to more permanent ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel. This is

something that the U.S. and the French have been working on for the past 11 months.

And there's obviously added urgency because of what we have seen in the past few days.

So as the world has assembled here in New York for the U.N. General Assembly, you have officials from all around the world, including the top

U.S. officials who have spent the past 48 to 72 hours working with the French, working with several Arab countries and others from the G7.

Then of course, with Israel and Hezbollah, through the government of Lebanon, who the U.S. doesn't speak with directly, and so they announced

last night quite late, 9:30 New York time, that there was this text of a ceasefire plan on the table that was being put to the parties that they

hoped would result in this calm so that negotiations could resume.

And the hope was that, because of what we've seen for the past few days, that Israel and Hezbollah would be willing to work harder toward a more

permanent truce. That is not what we are seeing right now because of what we're -- what was just described by Nic and Ben.

The fighting continues. We have not gotten an official response just yet from Israel or from Hezbollah. But we are certainly getting indications of

what that response may be. We see the Israelis saying that they're going to continue fighting with full force.

And then just yesterday, adding to what Nic said, Netanyahu said that negotiations will only be under fire. I think that's a very important point

because Israel has long thought that the best pressure for Hamas and Gaza and for Hezbollah and Lebanon is the military pressure.

While the United States has said weed this quiet (ph) in order for these negotiations to continue. So the diplomatic efforts will continue

throughout the course of the day. There is this plan on the table.

The White House struck a rather optimistic tone, I would say, when it was rolled out last night saying this was an important breakthrough, saying

that, when the governments of Lebanon and Israel accept these terms, it will lead to a 21 day ceasefire.

But it is clear from what we're seeing right now that we are not there yet. We have prime minister Netanyahu landing today, any moment now, if he's not

already on the ground, expected to speak at the U.N. tomorrow.

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I certainly imagine he will make his case for the operations, not just in Gaza but now against Hezbollah in Lebanon. We do know that all of the top

national security officials around President Biden are actually here.

Secretary Blinken is going to be sitting down at 1pm New York time with the top Netanyahu aide, Ron Dermer. We know that others are also here. So those

diplomatic talks sure to continue.

Certainly I would imagine the White House officials woke up this morning, hearing what they did from Netanyahu's office, disappointed that it does

not appear that there's going to be an imminent ceasefire. So they're still working very hard on that, Becky.

ANDERSON: Good to have you, Alex.

Let me bring in Firas Maksad. He's the director of strategic outreach at the Middle East Institute and a senior fellow there, a regular on this

show.

And Firas, you I know were in touch over the past 24 hours with senior U.S. officials who've been working on this plan. It does, to the point that Alex

was just making.

It does seem unlikely that, given the momentum that the IDF now have and the impact that they are having on Hezbollah in Lebanon, it does seem

unlikely at this point that you are going to get Benjamin Netanyahu landing in New York, ready to concede to anything, let alone a pause in the

fighting.

I don't know how significant it is that Hezbollah at this point are still firing rockets back, including a ballistic missile over deep into Israeli

territory, over Tel Aviv yesterday. So just give me a sense of what you understood to be the thinking behind this, the sort of the process for this

peace plan.

Have you a window?

The U.S. thinks they are going to leave for this. We're well into election sort of time at this point, only 40 odd days away from this U.S. election.

The window really for this Biden administration is closing at this point, isn't it?

FIRAS MAKSAD, DIRECTOR OF OUTREACH, MIDDLE EAST INSTITUTE: Yes, Becky, I heard Alex from New York state that the administration is striking a

positive tone in public about this.

I can tell you, from speaking to these senior officials that, in private, it is a very different tone. In fact, when I saw senior White House

officials on Friday and over the weekend, there was this collective shrug.

But the plan, which was to clinch a ceasefire in Gaza, bent on (INAUDIBLE), the deal then in many ways been prenegotiated or new security arrangement

overlooking, that plan had all but collapsed.

By early this week, they had this ceasefire idea, which they have been working with the French. Now it's been described to me as a Hail Mary, an

unlikely situation to pan out. But the administration nonetheless feel that they need to try, given how dire the situation is on the ground.

There are no illusions that Hezbollah, Nasrallah has climbed up the tree by linking Lebanon and Lebanon's fate to Gaza, refusing to cease-fire across

that border unless there is a ceasefire in Gaza.

And they understand that that's a very difficult thing to achieve, to decouple Lebanon from Gaza, because the entire Iranian and Hezbollah

strategy from day one after the October 7 attack has been this unity of fronts.

This kind of ring of fire that they've established around Israel. So for Nasrallah to concede and back away from that and sees a ceasefire arrest,

ceasefire in Gaza, is very difficult to imagine.

Very quickly, I'll tell you that the thing to look out for is certainly Benjamin Netanyahu's speech at the U.N. tomorrow.

There are some quiet hopes in the administration that he would offer Nasrallah the fig leaf he needs on Gaza, the climb down from that tree,

perhaps an end to major operations in Gaza, declaration of victory, that things are winding down.

But yes, in the background here, the administration is not hopeful.

ANDERSON: Is there anything else that the U.S. feels that they are prepared to use as leverage against Netanyahu, if indeed he isn't prepared

to even countenance the prospect of a ceasefire deal at this point?

We know there was enormous frustration behind the scenes. We also know that the military aid tap is still on.

I mean, what are you hearing behind the scenes?

MAKSAD: Yes, great question. That's a question that I pose quite often to every official I speak to. The reality is that (INAUDIBLE) there's a lot of

daylight between the American administration and Netanyahu. The president himself kind of doesn't hide that.

But the real question is what the administration is willing to do about it in an election year that is a pretty highly contested presidential

(INAUDIBLE). And where the issue of Israel has very serious domestic considerations.

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Does Bibi Netanyahu have to worry about being censured at the U.N. Security Council?

Can he still count on the American veto should the Europeans and the French bring a motion to the floor at the Security Council, if in fact Bibi

refuses to sign onto this ceasefire?

It's not clear at this point that the administration is willing to go to bat to Bibi Netanyahu. But I wouldn't be surprised that Netanyahu is first

and foremost willing about his domestic considerations, too, and the possible collapse of his coalition to accept the ceasefire.

ANDERSON: Firas, I was on the phone last night for quite a long time also, speaking to sources around this region about the prospect of a ceasefire

anytime soon. And frankly, those that I spoke to very much echoing what you've heard from U.S. officials.

I mean, this is this is a proper outside chance. I mean, nobody really knows, nobody's really believing that they can pull this off anytime soon.

The problem is, when you, when you when you talk to regional sources, the concern about what happens next if this continues in Lebanon and if there's

a ground invasion and the Israelis go all out, the concern is palpable.

I know we've talked for weeks and weeks about the risk of an escalation, concerns about regional instability. We are right in that sweet spot at

this point, aren't we.

Just explain from your perspective, given those that you speak to around this region as well -- and you've been on this Lebanon file now for months

and months -- what are the risks here?

MAKSAD: The concern is palpable. Not unusual (ph). There's a bit of wishful (INAUDIBLE) place here amongst these capitals that are involved in

these negotiations.

And the wishful thinking is that the Israeli prime minister, there will pop into the wind. They have done quite well for themselves militarily. It's

been a shock and awe campaign. First, the pager attack, which was sophisticated and unprecedented. Then the walkie-talkies, an ultimatum to

Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, saying, we can have a deal now if you stop firing or we can continue.

And then this barrage that killed the top commander, a military command of Hezbollah. So clearly Bibi Netanyahu here feels the wind in his sails.

The argument I made in a recent piece I wrote for "Time" magazine is that the real objective or the primary objective here from Bibi Netanyahu

doesn't seem to be the return of 60,000 plus Israelis to the north.

That is unlikely to happen without unlocking a political deal. A ceasefire can be the gateway to it. But the real objective here is to degrade the

Iranian ring of fire around Israel, Lebanon, (INAUDIBLE) Hamas, the Houthis in Yemen, militias in Syria and Iraq and the crown jewel being Hezbollah

and Lebanon.

If that is truly the key objective here, it seems that mission creep is probably what will happen. Netanyahu will continue to push forward in

Lebanon.

ANDERSON: Firas, your analysis and insights so important to us. Thank you so much, out of Washington today, where the time is just after 10:15 in the

afternoon. It's 6:15 in the evening here in Abu Dhabi. Appreciate it, mate. Thank you. Speak soon.

Still ahead with the world's attention focused on Lebanon, we'll have a report on the very latest situation in Gaza. Details on that are ahead.

And the latest on Hurricane Helene, as Florida braces for what forecasters will warn will be a catastrophic storm.

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ANDERSON: Tropical storm conditions have now reached Florida's coast as the state braces for what forecasters at least say will be a catastrophic

hurricane. Helene has now reached category 2 status and will continue to strengthen ahead of landfall in Florida's Big Bend area late tonight or

early Friday.

And you can already see flooded streets in the city of Treasure Island in the Tampa Bay area. This storm could bring life threatening storm surge to

Florida's coast. And its wind field will reach well inland, spreading hurricane conditions as far north as central Georgia.

CNN's Carlos Suarez is in Gulfport in Florida, near Tampa Bay.

And just get us up to speed on what you are seeing there and what the expectations are.

CARLOS SUAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Becky, that's right. So we are in Pinellas County. That is just to the west of the city of Tampa here in

Florida, where emergency officials this morning expressed a great deal of concern with the fact that folks that live in this low-lying part of

Pinellas County have not evacuated.

And you're getting a sense of their concern, why they are worried by the fact that folks are coming out and enjoying an otherwise sunny day as some

of the bad weather moves in.

And that's because we've already started to see some of the flooding associated with this hurricane. What you're taking a look at here is the

result of high tide and some of the rain that moved through the area overnight and into this morning.

This kind of flooding is taking place with the storm southwest of where we are located. And the hurricane is not expected to make a direct impact here

in Pinellas County.

But the concern is, if we're already seeing this type of flooding, what do you think it's going to look like later on this afternoon and tonight, when

the forecasted 4-6 feet of storm surge search associated with the storm is forecast to hit this area?

And so the concern from emergency officials is that folks may think that, because the storm is so far off the coast and it is not going to directly

hit the Tampa Bay area, that they shouldn't take this threat seriously.

But this storm, the size of it is so large, that folks really -- emergency officials want folks to take it seriously. They're saying, look, we're

going to see some of that rain. We're going to see some of that tropical storm force winds.

But more importantly, we're going to see that storm surge. And when all those three things happen at the same time throughout the afternoon, then

you're going to see the type of flooding that we're seeing right now, if not even worse.

The bay itself is just on the other side of where we are. And we've been watching it creep over the entire morning as high tide kicks in. That water

keeps getting closer and closer and closer.

And so emergency officials would like folks to go ahead and move further inland, considering some of the evacuation orders that have been in place

since yesterday. And as this storm gets closer to us, even though it's going to be off the coast, of course, the window for folks to get out is a

little bit more narrow -- Becky.

ANDERSON: It's good to have you. And stay safe. I hope those behind you do understand what they may be facing in the hours to come.

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ANDERSON: Still to come, civilians in Gaza fearing that they may be forgotten as Lebanon becomes a growing focus in the Middle East. I'll get

the view from UNICEF with feet on the ground, of course.

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ANDERSON: Welcome back. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson. Time here in Abu Dhabi is 6:30 in the afternoon.

While the world's attention has shifted to Israel's strikes on Lebanon, Palestinians in Gaza are still living under constant bombardment. More than

300 had been killed in Gaza in the nine days since a remotely triggered attack caused pagers to explode in Lebanon, of course.

Well, the death toll from Israel's war in Gaza has risen to 41,495, according to the Palestinian health ministry. CNN's Paula Hancocks has

more. And we must warn you, her package contains graphic material.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Another week of hell in Gaza. A mother and her four children were killed when their home in al-

Berej (ph) was hit by an Israeli airstrike early Monday.

Their uncle said it happened at 3 am. They were killed while they slept.

Another strike at a school sheltering displaced in Nuseirat camp killed a couple and their 5-year-old child. Israel said it was a precise strike

targeting Hamas operatives. A man staying nearby says, these are the remains of the missile. They were innocent and displaced, sleeping in this

little room.

The next day, a drone strike in al-Berej (ph) killed two children and 20- year-old twin men. Their father says they were sitting by the front door, looking at their phones. They were born together and killed together, he

says.

Children playing in the street were rushed into hospital. We have asked the IDF what the target of this strike was. One little boy is treated on the

hospital floor next to the body of a deceased man. No dignity allowed in life or death for the residents of Gaza.

Dozens lost their lives this week, while thousands of miles away --

ANDERSON: I want to get you to the U.N. General Assembly. Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas is at the podium, let's listen in.

MAHMOUD ABBAS, PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY PRESIDENT (through translator): It would be the occupying usurpers.

(INAUDIBLE), most gracious, most merciful. Mr. (INAUDIBLE), president of the General Assembly of the United Nations, Mr. Antonio Guterres, secretary

general of the United Nations, ladies and gentlemen, heads and members of delegations, esteemed guests, peace and God's blessings be upon you all.

I come to you today as well my people and for almost a year now are subjected to one of the most heinous crimes of our era. It is a crime of a

full scale war of genocide that Israel is perpetrating. Israel, the occupying, a crime and so far has killed more than 40,000 martyrs in Gaza

alone. And thousands remain under the rubble.

A crime that has injured more than 100,000 others to this day and matters are (INAUDIBLE) hundreds, hundreds of Palestinian families have been

annihilated. Entire family names have been wiped out of the civil records.

More than 100 families have been completely wiped out to the civil (INAUDIBLE). They no longer exist. Thousands have died because of the

spread of disease and epidemics and shortages in medicine and water.

Moreover, more than 2 million Palestinians in Gaza have left their homes multiple times in search of safety and fleeing the systemic operations that

the Israeli occupying army is perpetrating.

[10:35:00]

And as this war of aggression continues, dozens are being killed every day and double that amount is being injured amongst our bereft people in the

Gaza Strip and the West Bank and in Jerusalem.

I'm not here to respond to the lies of the Israeli prime minister, lies that he said in his speech before the U.S. Congress in July, where he

claimed that his army does not kill innocent civilians in Gaza.

I ask you, by God, who was it then that killed more than 15,000 children of the 40,000, an equal number of women and elderly persons from our people?

And who is it then that is continuing to kill them?

I ask you to answer me, by God. Stop this crime. Stop. It. Now. Stop killing children and women. Stop the genocide. Stop sending weapons to

Israel.

This madness cannot continue. The entire world is responsible for what is happening to our people in Gaza and the West Bank, the West Bank, that is

under the daily and continuously Israeli aggression. It is under a vicious settlement activity.

They're building everywhere in Palestine as if all of Palestine is theirs. (INAUDIBLE) subjected to the terrorism of gangs of settlers under the

patronage and support of the Israeli government.

And the occupying army which destroys hundreds of houses in the land of Palestine, not to mention what our eternal capital al-Quds is being

subjected to in terms of campaigns to change its nature to the (INAUDIBLE) and to aggress it and its holy sites and landmarks to change its historic

and legal status.

We've recently heard a terrorist Israeli minister calling for building a temple in the Al-Aqsa mosque. We must condemn and stop this reckless

minister and those like him who want to set the fire, a fire of (INAUDIBLE) conflict and strife that will burn everything in its way, the Aqsa mosque

and its surroundings.

(INAUDIBLE) the exclusive property of Muslims. This has been endorsed by a resolution taken by the League of Nations in 1930. This was a resolution by

the League of Nations and we will accept nothing else, regardless of the circumstances.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have repeatedly warned here in the General Assembly that the situation in the occupied land of the state of Palestine

warned of an explosion. And this explosion has happened. It happened on October 7th of last year and afterwards.

And from the very first day, I stressed the need to immediately stop the war. I condemned the killing of civilians regardless of who they are and

regardless of what side they were on or any people they were from.

I demanded the release of prisoners and those detained by both sides. There's no need to detain women, children and the elderly. We've said this

repeatedly to anyone who has those people detained, I called for immediately going to the negotiation table to implement the two-state

solution based on international resolutions.

But instead of hearing the voice of reason, the Israeli government took advantage of what happened to launch an all-out war of genocide against

Gaza. It committed and continues to commit war crimes, as acknowledged by the international community.

They're called war crimes. Israel today is now launching a new aggression on the elderly (ph) Lebanese people. The Lebanese people are now being

subjected to a war of genocide.

[10:40:00]

And Israel must stop the war in Lebanon and in Palestine. We condemn this aggression and we demand that it stops immediately. Israel has reoccupied

the Gaza Strip in its entirety and it has destroyed it almost entirely (INAUDIBLE) is no longer fit for life.

(INAUDIBLE) most homes have been destroyed. The same applies to most buildings, health facilities, educational facilities, economic buildings,

roads, churches, mosques, water plants, electric plants and sanitation plants.

Anybody who goes to Gaza who had known it before would not recognize it anymore. It's no longer there except 5 percent of everything in Gaza has

been fully destroyed. If Israel thinks that it's going to get away from being held accountable and punished for these crimes, then it is

delusional.

The international community must immediately impose sanctions on Israel. The massacres, the crimes, the genocide that Israel has been perpetrating

against our people since its inception in 1948 to this very day will not go unpunished.

There is no statute of limitations. Rights will never be lost as long as there are those who demand them.

And despite our repeated calls and demands, the world has not succeeded in obliging Israel, this tragic (ph) state, to stop this war of genocide and

its war crimes against innocent civilian residents.

And we regret, we regret that the U.S. administration, the democracy of the world, the largest democracy in the world, obstructed three times draft

resolutions of the Security Council demanding Israel to observe a ceasefire.

The U.S. alone stood and said, no, the fighting is going to continue. They did this by using the veto. And added to that, it's furnished Israel with

the deadly weapons that it used to kill thousands of, in a sense, civilians, children and women. And this further incurred (ph) Israel to

continue its aggression.

As long as the U.S. is supporting it, then why not keep going?

Since it's already an aggressive and aggressing state. This is the United States, the very country that was the only member of the Security Council

that voted against granting the state of Palestine full membership in the U.N.

We don't deserve membership in the eyes of America. So they used the veto against it. I don't understand how the United States could insist on

opposing our people, insist on depriving us of our legitimate rights to freedom and independence, as is the right of the rest of the countries, 194

countries.

And we are no less than that. (INAUDIBLE). Israel, which refuses to implement United Nations' resolutions, does not deserve to be a member in

this international organization. Israel, whose permanent representatives in this organization, says that the very building of the United Nations -- and

he said this.

He said that this building must be removed. This building that we are sitting in right now, it must be wiped off the face of the Earth. This

country does not deserve to be a member in this organization.

It is from the very beginning, it has from the very beginning not fulfilled the conditions for membership because in 1949, when its submitted its

membership application to the U.N., the U.N. imposed two conditions.

First, to accept and implement resolution 181, the -- and resolution 194.

Without implementing these two conditions, you will not be granted membership in the United Nations.

(INAUDIBLE) the foreign minister at the time wrote a pledge. You will see a plat original (ph) (INAUDIBLE).

[10:45:00]

That he and Israel are committed to the implementation of (INAUDIBLE) resolutions.

And since 1949, to this very day, nothing has happened. We are going to submit a request, an application to the General Assembly on this matter and

as I said, if you return, then we will return.

If they do not step back, then we will do more. I take this opportunity to commend the member states of the United Nations that voted with the two-

thirds with more than a two-thirds majority in favor of the draft resolution submitted by the state of Palestine and supported by a large

number of your friendly and sisterly countries.

To adopt the ICJ's historic advisory opinion issued on the 19th of July, 2024, to end the illegal Israeli occupation of the state of Palestine. In a

period of 12 months. For the very first time, there's a specific timeframe.

We demand the implementation of this particular requirement, including an immediate cessation of annexation of settlement activities, the dismantling

of existing settlements, of evacuating settlers from Palestinian Territories. There are 600,000 settlers living on our land.

Why don't they go back to their homes?

We must give reparations to Palestinians and for damages that were a result of the unlawful policies and practices of the occupation and many other

such issues that were mentioned in the ICJ's advisory opinion.

We want what the ICJ stated and what the entire world accepted in the General Assembly, where the vast majority that far exceeds a two-thirds

majority and Israel must made, must be made to implement it.

We rely on this resolution, which is the embodiment of international will and the principle (INAUDIBLE) and the mechanisms that were adopted in this

regard to guarantee implementation.

We hope that this resolution would be implemented. Of the 1,000 resolutions taken on the Palestinian people since 1948 until this very day, not a

single one has been implemented yet.

(INAUDIBLE) I feel very grateful (INAUDIBLE) as I see this large, great shift in the positions of member states in the United Nations as they

supports the Palestinians' right to an independent state.

That is recognized and that deserves full membership in this organization, as is the case with the rest of the countries in the world that love

freedom and peace.

In the name of the Palestinian people, I thank you for the support. I thank you for your support of what is right, of justice, to achieve peace in our

region. I call upon you to apply the laws of international known (ph) law, according to responsibilities and sovereignty.

We don't ask you for more than you can do. We ask every state to give us our support within the realm of responsibility and sovereignty. I also

express our gratitude and appreciation for the demonstrations that spoke against the genocide in Gaza and that supported Palestinian rights, that

have been taking place throughout the world.

Including the American people. And I acknowledge the American people are marching in the streets in these demonstrations. And we are grateful to

them. We appreciate what is happening in European countries and the noble supporters that the Palestine risking their lives as Israelis attack them.

And here, I would like to make special mention of the Turkish American martyr Aysenur, killed by the occupation army in cold blood. I say to

those, the Palestinian people will not forget your honorable stand. We will remember you proudly when the occupation is eliminated and when our people

enjoy freedom and independence.

Ladies and gentlemen, recently there was much talk about the next day or the day after.

What can we do on the day after?

[10:50:00]

What is our policy for the day after?

And I say to you, the day after the end of the war in the Gaza Strip, I take this opportunity today to give you our view of what is needed

immediately and on the day after the war ends. This is our proposal, a proposal to you. You can accept and change it. You can amend it. We are

ready for all that.

First of all, a comprehensive and permanent in Gaza and an end to the military aggressions and attacks by terrorist settlers in the West Bank and

East Jerusalem.

Second, humanitarian aid must be delivered urgently in an organized manner and in sufficient quantity because there's nothing in Gaza and they need

everything.

It's a matter, aid must be delivered to all Gazans who have (INAUDIBLE) full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. We refuse the establishment of

buffer zones or taking any port from Gaza. Gaza is only seven kilometers by 40.

And Israel wants to cut it up. (INAUDIBLE) Syrian (ph) peace there. And we will not allow a single centimeter of Gaza to be taken. We demand that we

stop the forced displacement inside the Gaza Strip our outside the Gaza Strip with the matter (ph) return of those displaced to their homes and to

have what housing provided to them.

Netanyahu wants the West Bank and the Gaza Strip people to be displaced, to be evacuated to Egypt and to Jordan. We refused. The Jordanian and Egyptian

governments -- and I thank them for this -- said, we will not allow the displacement of any Palestinians and eviction of the (INAUDIBLE) from their

lands.

Fourth, we demand the protection of UNRWA and humanitarian organizations from Israel's actions and to provide political and financial support to

these organizations so that they can perform their role and offer their services to the Palestinian refugees until they return home.

UNRWA was established to do its job until the refugees return. And every day they will find an excuse to convince others that UNRWA's work must be

ended.

Fifth, we demand international protection for the Palestinians on the lands of the occupied land. We want protection. We are not fighting Israel. We

cannot fight Israel. We don't want to fight.

But we want protection. We want our children, our women, our families to be protected internationally.

Six, Palestine, the state of Palestine must overtake -- must shoulder its responsibilities in the Gaza Strip and impose its full mandate on it and

jurisdiction on it, including the border checkpoints, especially that international border between Egypt and Palestine as part of a comprehensive

plan.

This has existed before and it must return to the way it was.

Seventh and within the context of the frame (ph), within the context of a comprehensive national reform process, this is a process that we're

undertaking and most countries have reviewed it, supported it, confirmed it ahead to pass in government for it (ph).

And hopefully we will continue with this process to the very end. In terms of this process, we will reconstruct our infrastructure and the state

institutions destroyed by Israel. We will revive the economy and establish sustainable development and rebuild the Gaza Strip.

And we will hold the State of Israel fully responsible.

Eight, the authority of the state of Palestine and the Palestinian government and the PLO, the legitimate and sole (INAUDIBLE) with the

Palestinian people will have the authority on all the Palestinian Territories and the Gaza Strip that the West Bank and East Jerusalem, as

has been stipulated for us by international law.

We are not asking for more but we will not accept any less. The West Bank and the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem. We will not ask for more but we will

not accept any less. We will hold general elections. We're ready to hold elections. We've been ready in the past but Israel refuses to allow us to

hold these elections in Jerusalem.

But if this were to happen, we're ready to hold these elections and to form a Palestinian government in accord is with the results of these elections.

But we will continue to normalize the largest possible international support so that the state of Palestine can achieve full membership in the

United Nations as soon as possible.

[10:55:00]

What do we lack to be sitting amongst you?

What do we lack to be on the same footing that 194 official member states in the United Nations?

We have the land, we have the authority, we have the people, we have the culture, we have the knowledge, we have everything that we need. We ask you

to help us (INAUDIBLE).

The full implementation of the General Assembly resolution on the advisory opinion that we mentioned, issued by the International Court of Justice in

a manner that will lead to the end of the occupied occupation in 12 months as stipulated by the resolution, as set by the advisory opinion.

Number 11, hold an international peace conference under the auspices of the United Nations within a year to apply the two-state solution. So we hold

this international conference so that we would resolve all the problems that remain between us and Israel.

By the way, we recognize the state of Israel but Israel doesn't recognize us. We want a solution that will protect both countries, the State of

Palestine and the state of Israel, so that they can co-exist in peace, stability and security.

Number 12, to adopt international peacekeeping forces by virtue of a security resolution between the states of Palestine and Israel to guarantee

the security of both countries. We call for guarantee the security of both countries.

These are the elements of our vision for the day after, for today and for the day after the war ends. And the state of Palestine in general and I

call upon you to adopt this plan and to provide all the necessary means to guarantee success.

Ladies and gentlemen, a few weeks ago, I declared that I've decided to lead a Palestinian delegation to the Gaza Strip so that we can stand by our

people who have been exhausted by the Israeli genocide war.

I call upon you to support this decision by issuing a United Nations decision resolution by the United Nations here, by pressuring the occupying

government so that it would not obstruct this effort.

And here I welcome any state, any party that wants to join us in this visit. We will be happy to go with you to Gaza so that we can all see the

tragedies that are taking place.

I salute our heroic people that are sacrificing all that is precious for Palestine and Gaza, of sacrifice in the West Bank of solidarity, of al-

Quds, which is our crown jewel and our capital. We salute our people in the diaspora and that count in the refugee camps to our brave prisoners in

Israeli prisons, 6,000 prisoners.

Israel arrests whoever it wants. Those prisoners who are -- whose dignity is being violated every day, Palestine will be free. It will be free

despite anyone who objects to that.

Our people live on the land of the fathers and grandfathers as they have done for more than 6,000 years. They will continue their legitimate

struggle for independence. The occupation will end, will end, will end. God's peace and blessing be upon you.

(APPLAUSE)

RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: You've been listening to Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas, speaking at the U.N. General

Assembly. He spoke for a little less than 30 minutes.

He spoke at times quite critically of the United States, certainly of Israel but also the international community, saying that it is the entire

world who is responsible for what is happening to our people in Gaza and the West Bank. Let me bring in CNN's Nic Robertson now.

Nic, did you hear anything new in that speech?

ROBERTSON: Yes, I heard him lay out details about what he called the day after in Gaza, the day after the war ends, of course. Prime minister

Benjamin Netanyahu has been under huge pressure from allies and partners around the world to spell out what he'll do the day the war ends in Gaza.

And we got a real detailed analysis of it here from Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority president, laying out what he wants.

And some of the interesting details in there and just to backup ever so slightly, unsurprisingly heavily critical of Israel, calling it a transient

state and that it shouldn't be allowed a representation at the United Nations.

[11:00:00]

END