Portrait of Mahmoud Abbas
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Mahmoud Abbas on Israel

Vehement critic (strong)

TL;DR

Mahmoud Abbas vocally condemns Israeli actions as a 'war of genocide' while asserting the necessity of a sovereign Palestinian state.

Key Points

  • He accused Israel of committing a documented war crime and a crime against humanity in Gaza during his September 2025 address to the UN General Assembly.

  • He has called for the Palestinian Authority to assume full responsibility for governance and security in Gaza post-conflict, asserting that Hamas will have no role.

  • He has, at times, been characterized by critics as the primary obstacle to peace due to past refusals to engage in direct negotiations with Israeli leaders.

Summary

Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority president, maintains a position of strong condemnation against Israel's military actions and settlement policies, particularly in the context of the conflict in Gaza. He has repeatedly addressed international forums, such as the United Nations General Assembly, to assert that Israel is committing a documented war crime and a crime against humanity in Gaza, citing widespread destruction, starvation, and high civilian casualties. He views Israel's continued settlement expansion in the West Bank as a direct threat designed to undermine the internationally supported two-state solution and fragment any future Palestinian territory.

He explicitly rejects the actions of Hamas on October 7, 2023, stating they do not represent the Palestinian people's just struggle, and insists that the armed group must disarm and surrender governance of Gaza to the Palestinian Authority. Abbas advocates for a modern, democratic Palestine based on rule of law, and stresses that peace cannot be achieved without justice, which requires ending the occupation and securing Palestinian rights. Despite his strong rhetoric against Israeli policies, he has expressed readiness to engage in negotiations, provided that the international community supports the creation of a Palestinian state and ensures justice for his people.

Key Quotes

“What Israel is carrying out is not merely an aggression,”

“I speak to you today after almost two years in which our Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip have been facing a war of genocide, destruction, starvation and displacement,”

Frequently Asked Questions

Mahmoud Abbas's position is one of firm opposition to the current Israeli government's policies and actions, which he consistently brands as aggression, war crimes, and settlement expansion. He maintains that a just peace requires an end to the occupation and the establishment of a Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders. He demands international accountability for Israeli actions.

His core stance favoring a two-state solution remains, but his approach has evolved, particularly regarding the exclusion of Hamas from future governance in Gaza, which he has strongly stated. Historically, he has also been accused by critics of evading direct negotiations with various Israeli prime ministers over the years. He has expressed a willingness to engage when conditions for a just resolution are met.

Speaking to the UN General Assembly via video link in September 2025, he accused Israel of conducting a 'war of genocide, destruction, starvation and displacement' in Gaza. He also condemned the ongoing settlement construction in the West Bank as a violation of international law that threatens the two-state option.