UN General Assembly 2026: 'Do not allow another Nakba', Mahmoud Abbas warns

Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas warned on Thursday that Palestinians could be on the precipice of another Nakba if the international community does not act on its stated intention to support Palestinian self-determination, and slammed Washington for punishing his government's "path of international law". Abbas was compelled to address the United Nations General Assembly via pre-recorded video for the second consecutive year, after the Trump administration instituted a visa ban against all Palestinian officials, as well as Palestinian civil society entities that have worked with the International Court of Justice - a UN body - or the International Criminal Court. "We reject these unlawful punitive measures, and we reject the accusations and justifications on which they were based," the 90-year-old Abbas said. "We affirm that we have fulfilled our obligations, carried out a comprehensive national reform programme and upheld our commitment to international law, to shunning violence and terrorism, and to the two-state solution and to peace on the basis of resolutions of international legitimacy," he added. Read more: UN General Assembly 2026: 'Do not allow another Nakba', Mahmoud Abbas warns Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas addresses the 81st United Nations General Assembly via pre-recorded video at UN headquarters in New York City, on 24 September 2026 (Mike Segar/Reuters)