In a speech to the United Nations General Assembly, Trump said world powers should instead focus on securing the release of hostages held in Gaza, nearly two years after Hamas captured them in the deadly attack on Israel that sparked the Gaza war.
France, Britain, Canada, Australia, and Portugal have recognized a Palestinian state in the past two days. Their moves stemmed from frustration with Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip and were intended to promote a two-state solution, but they have angered Israel and its close ally, the United States.
“As if to further fuel the conflict, some members of this body are attempting to unilaterally recognize the Palestinian state. The reward for Hamas terrorists would be too great for their atrocities,” Trump said in his speech to the UN. “That would be a reward for these terrible atrocities.”
“Instead of giving in to Hamas' ransom demands, those who want peace should be united with one message: Release the hostages now, just release the hostages,” he said.
He called for the release of all living hostages and the return of the bodies of those who died in captivity, saying: “We must end the war in Gaza immediately. We must end it to achieve that.”
The two-state solution — the existence of both Israel and a Palestinian state — was the foundation of the U.S.-backed peace process that began with the 1993 Oslo Accords, but that process is all but dead.
The Israeli government has stated that there will be no Palestinian state as it fights the militant group Hamas in Gaza after it launched an attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people, according to Israeli sources.
Israel has drawn worldwide criticism for its military action in Gaza, where, according to local health authorities, more than 65,000 Palestinians have been killed.
Nevertheless, Israel has launched a ground offensive on Gaza City with no prospect of a ceasefire, demanding that Hamas release the last hostages it took during the 2023 attack on Israel.
The Israeli military continued its offensive to eliminate Hamas in Gaza, advancing deeper into the most populous areas of Gaza City on Tuesday.
Local health authorities said Israeli attacks on Tuesday killed at least 22 people in the Gaza Strip, including 18 in Gaza City. The Ministry of Health in Gaza said that hospitals in the area would run out of fuel in the coming days, putting lives at risk.
A United Nations commission said in a report on Tuesday that the Israeli government had shown a clear intention to gain permanent control over Gaza and ensure a Jewish majority in the occupied West Bank.
The UN report details the comprehensive, systematic destruction of civilian infrastructure in the corridors and buffer zones of the Gaza Strip by the Israeli authorities, which has allowed Israel to extend its control to 75% of the Gaza Strip by July this year.
The Israeli mission in Geneva rejected the report's findings.
(reuters)