“The dawn of freedom will come,” he assured his people.

His speech came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu headed to New York to give his own address in person on Friday.

In a short but resolute speech, Abbas lay out his continued vision for a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza alongside Israel.

But it also appears further than ever from realities on the ground. Netanyahu’s government has rejected the creation of a Palestinian state.

He says his administration is ‘ready’

Israeli forces have control over much of the Gaza Strip. Netanyahu has made clear that Israel will keep security control of the area once Hamas is overthrown. He has dismissed any involvement of Abbas’ Palestinian Authority in the region.

Certain ministers within Netanyahu’s government have advocated for the annexation of the occupied West Bank, where Abbas’ administration currently governs limited areas.

“There can be no justice if Palestine is not freed,” Abbas said.

He said the Palestinian Authority is “ready to bear full responsibility for governance and security” in Gaza.

He added that “Hamas will have no role to play in governance”, and will have to hand over its weapons to the Palestinian authorities.

Hamas has agreed to step down from power in Gaza but has rejected Israeli demands that it disarm, saying it has a right to resist Israeli occupation.

Abbas said Israel’s campaign in Gaza “is not merely an aggression, it is a war crime and a crime against humanity”.

Abbas expressed gratitude to world leaders who have supported Palestinians during the Gaza conflict, remarking that the recent international recognition of Palestinian statehood has given his people hope for peace and resolution.

He acknowledged recent decisions by France, the UK, and Canada to recognize Palestine as an independent state and urged the remaining countries to follow suit.

But, he added, that symbolic recognition is not enough to address the present moment.

“The international community must now deliver justice to the Palestinian people, granting them their rights to end the occupation and ensuring they are no longer subject to the whims of Israeli politics, which continue to deny our rights, perpetrating injustice, oppression, and aggression,” Abbas declared.

Before concluding, he sent a message of hope to the Palestinian people, saying that no matter how long the suffering continues, “its results will not break our will to live and survive”.

Israel’s campaign in Gaza has killed more than 65,000 people and wounded more than 167,000 others, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. It doesn’t say how many were civilians or combatants, but says women and children make up around half the fatalities.

More than 90 per cent of housing in the territory has been destroyed, most of the population of more than 2 million have been displaced, and famine has been declared in northern Gaza.

Israel’s campaign was triggered when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1200 people and taking 251 hostage. Forty-eight captives remain in Gaza, about 20 of them believed by Israel to be alive.

“The dawn of freedom will emerge, and the flag of Palestine will fly high in our skies as a symbol of dignity, steadfastness and being free from the occupation,” Abbas said.

“We will not leave our homeland. We will not leave our lands.”