NEW YORK /PNN/

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met with International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan on Monday, urging the court to accelerate investigations into alleged Israeli war crimes. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Abbas discussed the current situation in the Palestinian territories, particularly the Gaza Strip, where he accused Israel of committing acts of genocide and ethnic cleansing against the Palestinian population. He also condemned Israeli military actions and settler violence in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

The Palestinian leader called for swift action from the ICC regarding alleged war crimes committed during the recent military offensive in Gaza, as well as ongoing settler violence and human rights violations in the occupied territories, including the mistreatment of detainees.

Abbas warned that the failure to hold Israel accountable only emboldens further aggression. He noted that Palestinians have endured over seven decades of suffering, which he described as a continuous state of injustice, oppression, apartheid, and ethnic cleansing.

He also pointed to a July advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice, which ruled that Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal under international law. Abbas urged the international community and UN legal bodies to press Israel to comply with this and other international rulings, including those calling for an end to military operations in the Palestinian territories.

President Abbas reaffirmed Palestine’s intention to pursue full membership in the United Nations and increase international recognition of Palestinian statehood.