Mahmoud Abbas Calls For an Immediate End to War Against Gaza

TEHRAN (Defapress) - According to Al Jazeera, Mahmoud Abbas, Head of the Palestinian Authority, said at a bi-state conference held in New York under the chairmanship of France and Saudi Arabia: "We demand the entry of aid into Gaza, the withdrawal of the occupiers from it, and the release of Israeli prisoners."

He, who was not allowed to participate in the conference in person and spoke via video conference, added: "I thank Egypt, Qatar, and the United States for their mediation, and we appreciate the positions of Egypt and Jordan in opposing the forced displacement of the Palestinian people."

In a speech echoing the Zionist regime, the United States, and Western countries, Abbas claimed: "Hamas and other groups must hand over their weapons to the Palestinian Authority and will not play a role in Gaza."

He added: "We want the establishment of a demilitarized Palestinian state."

Abbas said: "We demand an end to settlement construction, annexation of Palestinian lands, an end to settler violence and attacks on holy sites."

The "Two-State Solution" conference, hosted by France and Saudi Arabia and attended by dozens of world leaders, to recognize an independent Palestinian state, began in New York on Monday night (Tehran time).

The goal of the meeting is to garner support for the two-state solution, and several countries are expected to officially recognize the state of Palestine, a move that could lead to strong reactions from Israel and the United States.

The conference opened with a speech by French President Emmanuel Macron.