New york: President Mahmoud Abbas, representing the State of Palestine, reaffirmed the Palestinian leadership's commitment to a comprehensive reform agenda aimed at enhancing governance, transparency, and the rule of law. He pledged to conduct presidential and parliamentary elections within a year following the end of the ongoing conflict.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, President Abbas made these remarks during the high-level International Conference on a Peaceful Settlement of the Palestinian Question and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution. He committed to drafting a provisional constitution to facilitate the transition from authority to statehood. This framework, he emphasized, will exclude parties or individuals who do not align with the political program of the Palestine Liberation Organization or international legitimacy, under international oversight.
President Abbas expressed gratitude to the conference co-chairs, the United Nations, and participating countries for adopting the New York Declaration by the UN General Assembly in July. He described it as a crucial step toward ending the humanitarian crisis, the occupation, and realizing an independent State of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital, coexisting peacefully with Israel.
The President highlighted that the New York Declaration mandates an immediate and sustainable end to the war against the Palestinian people, asserting that 'siege, starvation, and destruction cannot lead to security.' He commended Egyptian, Qatari, and American mediation efforts to halt the conflict and praised Egypt and Jordan's resistance to forced displacement, a stance supported by the global community.
President Abbas declared that the State of Palestine is the sole legitimate authority to govern and ensure security in Gaza through an interim administrative committee connected to the Palestinian government in the West Bank, with backing from Arab and international entities. He clearly stated that Hamas will have no role in governance, insisting that all factions must relinquish their weapons to the Palestinian Authority as the aim is for one state, unarmed, under one law and one legitimate security force.
The President welcomed the increasing global recognition of the State of Palestine and urged countries that have not yet done so to recognize it and support Palestine's bid for full UN membership. He extended thanks to France, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Belgium, Portugal, Luxembourg, Malta, San Marino, and Andorra, and acknowledged the 149 states that recognized Palestine earlier, including recent recognitions by Spain, Ireland, Norway, Slovenia, and Armenia.
President Abbas also recognized the pivotal roles of Saudi Arabia, France, and the United Kingdom in promoting international recognition and thanked all conference participants for their contributions to the New York Declaration and for advancing 'irreversible steps toward peace based on the two-state solution and international legitimacy.'
