Abbas Calls for Immediate End of Israeli Occupation in UN Address

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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called Friday for an immediate end to Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories, as it continues to block the achievement of a peace deal between the conflicting sides.

"There is no meaning or value in negotiations for which the agreed objective is not ending the Israeli occupation and achieving the independence of the state of Palestine," Abbas said in his address to the UN General Assembly.

"There is no value in negotiations, which are not linked to a firm timetable for the implementation of this goal," he added.

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Abbas called on the global community to support a resolution, to be submitted to the UN Security Council, which would set a timetable for ending Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.

"This will be linked to the immediate resumption of negotiations between Palestine and Israel to demarcate the borders, reach a detailed and comprehensive agreement and draft a peace treaty between them,” the Palestinian leader said.

"It's high time for this settlement occupation to end now," Abbas stressed.

A new escalation of the continuous Israeli-Palestinian conflict started in June this year after Benjamin Netanyahu laid the blame for the death of three Israeli schoolboys on Hamas, a radical Palestinian Islamic organization and the de facto authority in Gaza. In response, Israel launched its operation "Protective Edge." The conflict has claimed thousands of lives.

On August 26, the Palestinian Authority and Israel with the mediation of the Egyptian government agreed to an open-ended truce. The agreement envisaged Israel opening border crossings to allow humanitarian aid and construction materials to enter Gaza Strip, as well as extending the permitted fishing zone.