UNGA: Gaza dominates agenda as Abbas, Netanyahu speak

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The Israeli prime minister said allegations of genocide in Gaza leveled at Israel by various world leaders or groups were false.

"It will take time for the world to acknowledge what is so plain to see. That Hamas used Palestinian civilians as human shields. That it used hospitals, schools, mosques as terrorist command posts. That it sold much of the food we let into Gaza," Netanyahu alleged. 

"And while Hamas did everything possible to keep Palestinians in harm's way — often at gunpoint — Israel did everything possible to get them out of harm's way," he said, listing measures like warnings to civilians. 

"I want to ask you a question: what genocidal regime gives a million polio vaccinations to the enemy's population? What genocidal regime enables the distribution of 2 million tons of food into Gaza? Accusing Israel of genocide is the greatest lie of the century," he said. 

He also called out New York's "antisemitic" mayor, Zohran Mamdani, as one of the people spreading this message. He said that since Mamdani's election "many Jews no longer feel safe in New York." 

Netanyahu said the "simple truth" was not that Israel committed genocide but that it prevented one, saying "that's exactly what Mr. Mamdani's Hamas buddies would have done to us if we had not stopped them."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began his speech with a reference to his notorious General Assembly appearance in 2012, when he stood with illustrated graphics depicting how near to creating a nuclear bomb he thought Iran was. 

"Ladies and gentlemen, 14 years ago I stood on this podium and I drew a red line," he said. "I vowed to prevent Iran's murderous dictatorship from developing atomic bombs. Nuclear weapons that could destroy the state of Israel, nuclear weapons that could threaten the whole world. That's exactly what we did."

Netanyahu said that while it was "very hard" to devastate Iran's nuclear facilities, he said it was "one of the easiest decisions" he'd had to make as prime minister, "because if we hadn't done it, we'd all be dead."

Iran contends that its nuclear program was for peaceful purposes like electricity generation, a claim that Israel and the US dispute. 

Netanyahu also referred to Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa's call for Israel to pull back its forces in the Golan Heights border area, addressing al-Sharaa and saying "you should know that the Jews have been in the Golan Heights since the days of Moses," referring to the Old Testament prophet thought to have lived more than 3,000 years ago.

As Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu's turn to speak at the UN General Assembly came, a large number of delegates from various countries stood up and left the chamber to cheers and jeering.

Only after repeated appeals for calm was it possible for him to begin his address. 

"Before I begin, just a quick announcement: if there any other moral cowards who have not yet left this hall, please do so now. Thank you very much," Netanyahu said.

He returned to the issue of the walkout later when discussing his decision to target Iran and its nuclear capabilities. 

"Now do you want to hear the ultimate irony? In defending itself, Israel is also defending many of the countries whose delegates just left this hall. In fact, I want you to know that many of their leaders even thank us privately for taking out Iran's nukes," he claimed, saying "it's hard to imagine more mind-blowing hypocrisy."

Protesters had also gathered outside the building in New York ahead of Netanyahu's address. Some were arrested by police. A Democratic nominee for New York's 10th congressional district in November's midterm elections, Brad Lander, also joined the demonstrators, albeit wearing a suit and tie rather than a slogan-laden T-shirt.

On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Nigeria and the United States agreed to increase American investiment in the West African nation's mining sector.

Nigeria's Minister for Solid Minerals Dele Alake announced the deal on Thursday, a day after he signed the framework deal with US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau.

"Nigeria cannot remain a source of raw materials while others capture most of the value. We want more local processing, quality jobs, stronger skills and greater opportunities for Nigerian businesses," Alake said.

Read more about the US-Nigeria mining agreement.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas used his remarks to implore nations to support the two-state solution, saying his people seek a non-militarized, democratic Palestinian state that can exist alongside Israel in peace.

He said the first step to preserving the idea of such a solution is to protect the lands upon which a future Palestinian state would be based, as well as protecting those people who have lived upon them for generations.

Abbas underscored the fact that the Palestinian people would not be displaced by "military occupation, nor settlement expansion, annexation, nor settler terrorism."

He further said that "no lasting security can be built upon the occupation of another people and the denial of its legitimate rights," adding that the Palestinians have their own plans for an independent state and emphasizing the need to end the Israeli occupation in order to negotiate a solution.

This plan, Abbas said, is based on protecting Palestinians from displacement, preserving their lands, democratically renewing political institutions and building a new sovereign Palestinian state — with east Jerusalem as its capital.

All of this, he said, would be carried out with a "commitment to international law" and the right to exercise self-determination with the aim of achieving security and peace with Israel to, "pave the way to regional integration, cooperation, prosperity and security for everyone."

Abbas concluded his remarks by thanking those 160 nations whom he said have recognized Palestinian statehood, calling for its inclusion in the United Nations.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, addressing those gathered at the UNGA via video because the US State Department refused to allow the Palestinian delegation into the country, has rejected Washington's approach as "unlawful and punitive."

Abbas described the denial of visas as a US failure to live up to its responsibility as the host nation of the international body.

Abbas quickly pivoted to blast Israel's "genocidal war" in Gaza, as well as the sanctioned "ethnic cleansing" perpetrated by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.

Saying that Israeli violations of international law put the two-state solution at grave risk, Abbas described the situation in Gaza, the West Bank and east Jerusalem as part of a "malicious colonial scheme" and warned of a "new Nakba."

He also referenced attacks on Muslim and Christian religious sites by radical Jews as having the potential to transform the current security situation into a wider religiously fueled conflict.

Beyond AI and the headline-grabbing conflict in the Middle East, the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday will discuss another pressing issue that impacts the world’s citizens — rising sea levels.

A high-level meeting is slated to begin at 10:00 a.m. (1400 GMT) on Thursday as swelling seas redraw coastlines and pose existential risks for islanders and those who live in low-lying areas near the shores of the world's oceans and seas.

The UN says nearly 900 million people live in such areas, adding that another one million could be impacted by mid-century.

Rising sea levels, says the UN, threaten not only land but also livelihoods and even the existence of entire nations. In the words of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, "Rising seas are sinking futures."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas are both expected to address members of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on Thursday, with the issue of the Middle East writ large on the day 3 agenda.

Netanyahu, who is increasingly unpopular at home and abroad, will not meet with US officials or Arab leaders during his stay. His office cited a "tight schedule" as the reason, listing as many as nine meetings during his visit, including with the presidents of Argentina and Bolivia, the vice president of Colombia and the prime minister of Papua New Guinea.

The increasingly isolated Israeli leader's Palestinian counterpart, President Mahmoud Abbas, will also address the General Assembly. Abbas, however, will do so via video, as the US State Department refused to issue him an entry visa.

The broader subjects of Gaza's future and Palestinian statehood will also be topics of discussion. The UK will convene a meeting on Gaza's current and future status, and Saudi Arabia and Norway will host a ministerial meeting to hash out plans for the implementation of the so-called "two-state solution."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for the ongoing war between the countries, calling him "patient zero."

The Ukrainian leader also announced new defense deals with Finland and Australia.

Elsewhere, Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa called for the Israeli occupation of the Golan Heights to end, saying the territory belongs to Syria. 

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez also addressed Israel, calling for what he described as the "genocide" in Gaza to stop.

This comes ahead of a speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the UN General Assembly on Thursday.  

Besides world leaders, top bosses at AI companies also addressed the UN about dangers concerning artificial intelligence.

AI executives spoke to the UN Security Council and urged international cooperation on the hotly debated technology. 

Sam Altman, the chief executive of OpenAI, highlighted two big risks with AI.

"First, we could lose control of the future to AI. The risk is that it moves so fast that people can no longer follow what's happening or intervene when needed," he said, adding that such a scenario would be "terrible."

Second, he said AI systems "could concentrate too much power in too few hands." "No one person or company or country should be able to use the most powerful AI models to impose their worldview on everyone else."

Anthropic boss Dario Amodei used the platform to call for a ban on the use of AI in the development of biological weapons, describing AI as the most crucial global security issue facing the world.

"If managed poorly, I even believe AI could be a risk to humanity as a whole," he said.

Amodei also urged global standards for testing new AI models.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchezcalled for reforming the UN Security Council so that "all of the regions in the world" would be fairly represented.

Sanchez quoted the UN Charter, saying "no country should be a judge in its own case, no matter how powerful they are."

The Spanish leader continued to condemn the "genocide that (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin)  Netanyahu is still perpetrating in Gaza," while pointing to Madrid's sanctions against Russia as an example of his government's willingness to take action against countries whose conduct violates the UN Charter.

Congolese Prime Minister ‌Judith ​Suminwa Tuluka described the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo as a "major test" for the country.

"For the DRC, fighting this epidemic is an absolute priority. After having contained ​16 previous outbreaks, the DRC is mobilizing recognized scientific and operational expertise. And thanks to national mobilization and the support of our partners, the response has recently begun ​producing tangible results," she told the UN General Assembly.

As of 22 September 2026, Congo reported a total of 7, 773 confirmed cases, including 3,759 related deaths. A total of 839 patients are hospitalized in isolation. 

Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, delivered her first address to the UN General Assembly since coming to power, promising her country would hold elections when the nation's people determine the "right moment."

"I want to ‌make ⁠this very ⁠clear at this General Assembly: there will be elections in Venezuela," Rodriguez said, adding that her country "has initiated the process of democratic transformation for its rebirth" following two blows this year.

First, "strangulation of its internal political life and the heightened confrontation with the United States" and second, the earthquakes on June 24 that caused the deaths of more than 6,500 people.

Rodriguez took power after the US toppled the then-president Nicolas Maduro in January.

Rodríguez briefly met US President Donald Trump at the UN General Assembly as well. 

DW's US Correspondent Misha Komadovsky reported that the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha met with the Iranian delegation on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

Sybiah earlier in the day told a UN Security Council meeting that Ukraine was ready for an immediate and complete ceasefire without preconditions, if Moscow did too. 

In a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul called on Iran to end its closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

"It is up to Iran to engage constructively in negotiations and to loosen its stranglehold," Wadephul told journalists ahead of the meeting.

Wadephul also urged Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to engage seriously and credibly in sustainable negotiations with the US and neighboring states in the region, sources in the German delegation were cited by the DPA news agency as saying.

"There must now be an overall willingness to compromise in order to bring about a solution to the deadlocked conflict in the region," Wadephul was quoted as saying.

He stressed the readiness of Germany and the so-called E3, which also includes France and the United Kingdom, to support mediation efforts.

Wadephul also stressed in the talks the need for Iran and militias it supports in the region, namely Yemen's Houthi rebels, to halt attacks on civilian ships. He added that Berlin expects free transit through the Strait of Hormuz to be restored immediately, stressing the rejection of any fees for passage through the critical waterway.

"Not only the Gulf States, but large parts of Asia, Africa and also Europe are suffering under this blockade," Wadephul said.

He added that Germany welcomes renewed talks between the US and Iran on the sidelines of the General Assembly, adding that he planned to speak to his counterparts from Jordan, Pakistan, Iraq and Oman.