23 September 2025
Eightieth Session,
4th & 5th Meetings (AM & PM)
Opening the general debate of the eightieth session of the General Assembly, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres urged leaders to choose between “a world of raw power — or a world of laws”.
He warned the Organization’s 193 Member States that the planet has “entered an age of reckless disruption and relentless human suffering”, recalling that the UN’s creation eight decades ago was a conscious choice of cooperation over chaos, law over lawlessness, peace over conflict.
Against this backdrop, Presidents and Prime Ministers on the first day of the high-level week diverged on key issues ranging from the role of the UN in a conflict-ridden world to migration, energy, climate change and the future of multilateralism.
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On Gaza, he condemned Hamas’ 7 October 2023 attacks and hostage-taking, but emphasized that “nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people and the systematic destruction of Gaza”. He demanded full implementation of International Court of Justice measures, a permanent ceasefire, the release of all hostages, humanitarian access and renewed commitment to the two-State solution as “the only viable answer to sustainable Middle East peace”.
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Gaza Crisis Marks ‘Lowest Point’ of Humanity, Demands Resolution
Many leaders addressed the “catastrophic situation” in Gaza. Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto highlighted its role as a major peacekeeping contributor and pledged to continue supporting UN missions. He pointed to record rice production and exports to countries in need, including Palestine. “With a strong UN, we can build a world where the weak do not suffer what they must, but live the justice they deserve,” he said.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Türkiye condemned the violence as “genocide” ongoing “for over 700 days”, noting that more than 65,000 people had been killed, including 20,000 children, and stressing that “for the last 23 months, a child has been murdered by Israel in Gaza every hour”. He described collapsed healthcare, starvation, and children undergoing amputations without anaesthesia as “the lowest point of humanity”, warning that silence makes others “accomplice to this barbarity”.
Jordan’s King Abdullah II bin al Hussein said that Israelis have not been able to live in security because military action cannot bring them safety. No where is that more evident than in Gaza. Voicing concern for the Israeli Government’s provocative calls for a “Greater Israel”, he stressed that such plans can only be achieved through violating the territorial integrity of the country’s neighbours. “The international community must stop entertaining the illusion that this Government is a willing partner for peace,” he said, recalling Israel’s “flagrant violations” of sovereignty of Lebanon, Iran, Syria, Tunisia, and most recently Qatar.
“They visit our country and plot to attack it. They negotiate with delegations and plot to assassinate the members of the negotiation,” said Qatar’s Amir Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, recalling that Doha, on 9 September, had suffered attacks which targeted the negotiating delegation of Hamas in a residential neighbourhood. Israel desires to impose its will on its Arab neighbours, and everyone who opposes its will is either antisemitic or a terrorist, despite that Israel’s allies realize this fact and reject it.
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United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres
“In Gaza, the horrors are approaching a third monstrous year,” he observed, citing “a scale of death and destruction beyond any other conflict” in his years as Secretary-General. He reiterated his condemnation of the Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023 and the taking of hostages, while underscoring that “nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people and the systematic destruction of Gaza”. He called for the full and immediate implementation of the International Court of Justice measures, a permanent ceasefire, the release of all hostages and humanitarian access. “And we must not relent in the only viable answer to sustainable Middle East peace: a two-State solution,” he stated.
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Brazil: Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva, President
However, “no situation is more emblematic of the disproportionate and illegal use of force than the one occurring in Palestine”. Condemning the Hamas terror attacks, he said “nothing justifies the ongoing genocide in Gaza”. International humanitarian law and the myth of Western exceptionalism are buried under the rubble there. The survival of the Palestinian people requires an independent State.
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United States: Donald J. Trump, President
He urged immediate action in Gaza. “Release the hostages now — just release the hostages now,” he said. “We have to negotiate peace, get the hostages back — all 20 back — and 38 dead bodies back.” He warned against unilateral recognition of a Palestinian State, saying it would amount to “a reward to Hamas for its horrible atrocities”.
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Indonesia: Prabowo Subianto, President
This year, his country recorded the highest rice production and grain reserves in its history. It is now self‑sufficient in rice and exports rice to other nations in need, including to Palestine. “With a strong UN, we can build a world where the weak do not “suffer what they must, but live the justice they deserve”, he continued, expressing hope that world leaders will show “great statesmanship, great wisdom, restraint and humility”. Reiterating Indonesia’s complete support for the two-State solution, he called for both Palestine and Israel to be free and independent, safe and secure from threats and terrorism.
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Türkiye: Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of Türkiye, voiced regret at the absence of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at a time when Palestine is being recognized by an increasing number of countries. “I call on all the other countries who have not done so yet to recognize the State of Palestine as soon as possible,” he said. President Erdoğan warned that grave events unfolding worldwide, particularly in Gaza, were casting “a shadow” over the UN Charter’s opening article: to maintain international peace and security. “Right before our very eyes genocide has been going on for over 700 days now and as we speak, Israel is currently massacring civilians in Gaza,” he said. Over 65,000 people have been killed, including over 20,000 children, he observed, adding: “For the last 23 months, a child has been murdered by Israel in Gaza every hour. Yes, every hour.”
Painting a grim picture of conditions in Gaza marked by starvation, the collapse of healthcare infrastructure, destruction of schools and hospitals, targeting of journalists and humanitarian workers, with children undergoing amputations without anaesthesia, he stated: “This represents the lowest point of humanity. Human history has not witnessed such bloodshed within the last century”. He said “there is no war in Gaza,” as one cannot talk about the presence of two sides, when one side is represented by a regular army with the most modern weapons and the other is represented by innocent civilians and children. “This is not fight against terrorism. This is an occupation, deportation, exile, genocide and life destruction,” he asserted. Noting that Israel is not limiting itself to Gaza and the West Bank, but also launching attacks on Syria, Iran, Yemen and Lebanon, he underscored: “The attack on Qatar has also shown that the Israeli leadership is now completely out of control.” He said “we cannot continue with this madness anymore,” calling for an immediate ceasefire, unimpeded humanitarian access and accountability under international law. “Everyone who is keeping silent is an accomplice to this barbarity,” he emphasized. He urged world leaders to have the courage to fulfil their humanitarian duty towards Gaza “where children are raising children”.
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Jordan: Abdullah II bin al Hussein, King
Abdullah II bin Al Hussein, King of Jordan said: “Another year. Another UN General Assembly, and another occasion when I stand before you to address the same issue: the Middle East”. Questioning “the utility of words” considering the magnitude of the crisis, he recalled that although 80 years ago the world vowed “‘Never again’, for almost as long, Palestinians have been living through cruel cycle of ‘yet again’”. They are bombed indiscriminately, killed, displaced and denied their basic humanity “yet again”. How long before a resolution to this conflict — one that safeguards the rights of all sides — is found, he asked. Though not the only conflict in the world, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is unique as it is “the longest-standing conflict in the world, an illegal occupation of a helpless population by a self-declared ‘democratic nation’ and a flagrant violation of UN resolutions, international law and human rights convention”.
Such failures should have been met with outrage — especially from major democracies, he stressed. Instead, they have only been met with “decades of inertia”. The conflict has been on the UN agenda throughout its 80 years of existence. “How long will we be satisfied with condemnation after condemnation without concrete action?” he continued. Neither interim agreements nor temporary stopgaps have delivered results. Moreover, many of these processes could be seen as distractions “as Israel grabbed more land, expanded illegal settlements, demolished homes and displaced entire neighbourhoods”. Throughout, Israelis have not been able to live in security because military action cannot bring them safety. No where is that more evident than in Gaza, where more than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed, starvation is widespread and the rubble of hospitals, schools, mosques and churches stretches for miles, he said. “Never in our modern history has the lens of international media been obstructed like this — from capturing the reality on the ground”.
Voicing concern for the current Israeli Government’s provocative calls for a ‘Greater Israel’, he stressed that such plans can only be achieved through violating the territorial integrity of the country’s neighbours. “The international community must stop entertaining the illusion that this Government is a willing partner for peace,” he said, recalling Israel’s “flagrant violations” of sovereignty of Lebanon, Iran, Syria, Tunisia, and — most recently — Qatar. He called on the international community to hold all nations to the same standards and to recognize that statehood is not a reward, but an indisputable right. For its part, Jordan serves as the main base for the international humanitarian response in Gaza in line with his country’s heritage of compassion and generosity to people in need. A glimmer of hope exists as more nations support a permanent ceasefire in Gaza — ensuring the release of all hostages, unhindered humanitarian aid and support for the Palestinian people to rebuild.
“Repeated wars are teaching generations of Israelis and Palestinians that their only recourse is the gun,” he continued, stressing that “security will only come when Palestine and Israel begin to co-exist side by side”. The two-State solution, in line with UN resolutions, with a viable, independent Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as its capital, living alongside a secure Israel, has been a goal promoted by the Arab Peace Initiative for almost 25 years. “The world’s conscience” is stirring with the courage of ordinary people. Raising their voices as one, they declare “it has been too long” he said, urging that “the United Nations must echo that call […] and it must act on that call until peace is a reality.”
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Qatar: Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, Amir
Qatar’s Amir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said the United Nations was founded 80 years ago on universal principles shaped by the lessons of two world wars. “If we allow violations to continue, it means allowing the rule of the jungle where perpetrators and violators enjoy benefits just because they can,” he stressed. He called for restoring collective security based on the UN Charter, recalling that Doha on 9 September had suffered a treacherous attack which targeted the negotiating delegation of Hamas in a residential neighbourhood that includes schools and diplomatic missions. Having classified this heinous act as State terrorism, he denounced political assassinations and efforts that undermine any diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the genocide against the people in Gaza. “It is also an attempt to kill politicians who are members of a delegation that engages in negotiations with Israel while they were studying an American proposal,” he underscored.
He said, “Qatari mediation has in fact achieved, in cooperation with Egypt and the USA, the release of hostages.” The last agreement was negated by Israel unilaterally, preventing the ability to reach a permanent ceasefire, the release of all hostages, the withdrawal of the occupying forces from the Gaza Strip or ensuring humanitarian access and the release of Palestinian prisoners. “They visit our country and plot to attack it. They negotiate with delegations and plot to assassinate the members of the negotiation,” he emphasized, adding that the Israeli leader wants to continue war and believes in what is called Greater Israel. “He believes that war is an opportunity to expand settlements and to change the status quo in the holy sites, in Al-Quds al-Sharif,” he continued. Israel desires to impose its will on its Arab neighbours, and everyone who opposes its will is either anti-Semitic or a terrorist, despite that Israel’s allies realize this fact and reject it. “We will continue our efforts in cooperation and partnership with Egypt and the United States of America,” he pledged, appreciating the States that have recognized the State of Palestine and urging more States to recognize it.
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Portugal: Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, President
He argued that no alternative framework – “not G1, not G2, not G3, not G1 plus one or two” – could replace the universal system of the United Nations. “No absence of multilateralism will avoid the need of multilateralism,” he said, reminding delegates that the world is and will remain multipolar. He pointed to Ukraine and the Middle East as examples of crises where reliance on a few powerful States had failed to secure ceasefires. “We waited and waited for the intervention of the most powerful in the world. Did you have a ceasefire,” he asked. By contrast, he highlighted the recognition of the State of Palestine by a growing number of Member States as a sign of collective international will. “This means we need the United Nations. We need multilateralism. We need dialogue between countries from every continent,” he declared. He stressed that international law must underpin reform efforts, noting that “a world driven by rules is a safer and more predictable and equitable world”.
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Uruguay: Yamandú Orsi, President
“In our time, technological progress has unleashed more perverse means of waging war, including the use of military practices aimed at sowing fear, terror and death among the civilian population,” he warned. Condemning all forms of terrorism, he stressed that the main objective of current wars seems to be the systematic practice of extermination. “No State that claims to be democratic and to live under the rule of international law can, even under the legitimate right to defend itself against terrorism, exercise barbarity against any civilian population, least of all against especially vulnerable and defenseless persons,” he said. Supporting the principle of a two-State solution in the Middle East, he said his government takes reports produced by the international community concerning the Palestinian territories seriously, urging for the immediate suspension of military operations.
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South Africa: Cyril Matamela Ramaphosa, President
Turning to the Middle East, he said Member States have a responsibility to ensure and protect the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination. “There is a growing consensus that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza,” he said, adding that South Africa is insisting that the International Court of Justice make a ruling that genocide is indeed being committed in Gaza “and that it must stop”.
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France: Emmanuel Macron, President
Turning to the New York Declaration of 22 September, which was signed by 142 countries, calling for the release of hostages, the stabilization of Gaza, the demilitarization and dismantling of Hamas and the reciprocal recognition of two States between Israel and Palestine, he urged States that have not done so to act likewise.
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Colombia: Gustavo Petro Urrego, President
Gustavo Petro Urego, President of Colombia, noting that this is his fourth and last Assembly statement in that post, recalled that in his first address before that body, he announced that there would likely be conflicts in Ukraine and Palestine, and suggested a peace conference. “However, those with large bombs and budgets are not seated here,” he said. Four years later, the horrific situation in Palestine did not lead him to believe that the same thing could happen in the Colombian Caribbean area, where 17 unarmed young people were killed by missiles in the open seas under the pretext of stopping drug trafficking, he said, stressing: “Perhaps a Global Stone Age has descended on mankind.” Decrying the expulsion of millions of migrants, the killing of 70,000 people in Gaza, and a lack of action against the climate crisis, he stressed: “All are linked and have the same cause: migration is an excuse for a rich, white racist society that believes it is a superior race, not realizing its leaders are leading it to an abyss, along with all of humanity.”
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Turning to Gaza, he said: “Trump is an accomplice to genocide. This forum is a mute witness to a genocide.” The UN must uphold the decisions of the International Court of Justice; it should stop the genocide by a General Assembly vote; and it should establish a peacekeeping force to protect Palestinians. “Instead of Blue Helmets, who lack training, we need a powerful army of countries who do not accept genocide,” he stressed, adding: “We’ve had enough words; to use the slogan of [Venezuelan statesman and soldier Simón] Bolívar, “Freedom or death.”
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Viet Nam: Luong Cuong, President
Welcoming the 22 September recognition of the State of Palestine by some countries, he called on the international community to act to end the Palestinian humanitarian crisis and on the United States to lift its embargoes against Cuba, delisting it from the state sponsors of terrorism.
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Angola: Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenço, President
In the Middle East, the systematic non-compliance with relevant Security Council resolutions on the creation of the State of Palestine has perpetrated a conflict that worsens daily and seems far from resolution. The failure to guarantee the Palestinian Authority President’s presence at the Assembly “sends a highly negative signal”, as it encourages the genocide to continue with impunity.
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Liberia: Joseph Nyuma Boakai, President
Against the backdrop of wars, displacement, climate change — “challenges that no country can solve alone” — his country feels morally obligated to call for a renewal, rather than reversal of multilateralism. “Wars in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa remind us that peace is often fragile and must be constantly defended,” he said, voicing support for all credible mediation efforts aimed at resolving the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, as well as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Liberia stands behind the common African position for the realization of the two-state solution. “We call on the international community to act together and decisively to protect civilians, hold perpetrators of atrocities accountable and strengthen mediation efforts,” he added.
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Democratic Republic of Congo: Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, President
“The rhetoric of war is gaining ground and we are seeing the return of old demons,” he said, pointing to the conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine, Yemen, Myanmar and Syria as well as the Democratic Republic of the Congo where, over three decades, war has become a “predatory exercise” and a “silent genocide”.
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Iraq: Abdullatif Jamal Rashid, President
He further called for a just end to the Palestinian situation, welcoming the international recognition of the State of Palestine.
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Japan: Shigeru Ishiba, Prime Minister
Turning to the situation in Palestine, which has reached an alarming juncture undermining the foundation of the two-State solution, he condemned and called for the immediate cessation of the expansion of Israeli ground operations in Gaza, which further aggravate the dire humanitarian crisis there. “I feel strongly indignant by the statements made by senior Israeli government officials that appear to categorically reject the very notion of Palestinian state-building,” he said, adding: “For our country, the question is not whether to recognize a Palestinian state, but when.”
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Morocco: Aziz Akhannouch, Head of Government
Turning to the situation in the Middle East, he called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and a return to negotiations to put a final end to the war. Humanitarian assistance must enter Gaza without conditions or restrictions, he said, emphasizing also the vital role of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the need to implement a clear and comprehensive road map for reconstruction. The two-State solution cannot be delayed or marginalized, he said, emphasizing also the need for a defined timeframe leading to a Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as its capital and Gaza an integral part of its territory, he said.
Morocco is committed to protecting the Aqsa Mosque compound and other holy sites, he said, adding that it also stands in solidarity with Qatar, Syria and Lebanon in the face of attacks by Israel, he said.
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Document Type: Meeting coverage
Subject:
Publication Date: 23/09/2025
URL source: https://press.un.org/en/2025/ga12709.doc.htm