Palestinian President: “No Displacement, No Second Nakba – Our Future is Our Own”

Palestinian President: “No Displacement, No Second Nakba – Our Future is Our Own”

By Bing Jabadan – TheNATIONWEEK.com | September 28, 2026

MANILA, Philippines – In a powerful address to world leaders at the United Nations in New York, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas emphatically declared, “We will not leave our homeland, we will not accept displacement, and we will not allow anyone to determine our future.” This resolute statement underscored a stark warning: “Do not allow another Nakba or massacres like those of 1948 to occur.”

The President’s impassioned plea highlighted the severe threats facing the Palestinian people, asserting that “no lasting security can be built upon the occupation of another people and the denial of their legitimate rights.” He articulated a national vision centered on protecting the Palestinian population and land, aiming for an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital and ensuring the return of refugees.

Critiquing existing approaches, he stated, “We seek an end to the occupation, not a new process for managing the conflict while the reality on the ground changes daily.” The Palestinian vision for peace, he reiterated, is rooted in a two-state solution – a Palestinian state alongside Israel – delivering security and prosperity for all.

The President cautioned that the current danger extends beyond undermining the two-state solution; it now “threatens the lives and very existence of our people on their land.” He unequivocally labeled events in Gaza and the West Bank as a “malicious colonial scheme aimed at forcing Palestinians to leave.”

His address also called for the expedited implementation of the second phase of President Trump’s plan and reiterated warnings against the E1 plan, urging the Security Council to enforce Resolution 2334. He demanded an immediate halt to extremist attacks on holy sites to prevent a widespread religious conflict and insisted on the immediate release of all Palestinian funds withheld by Israel.

Affirming Palestinian commitment, the President stated, “We have honored our commitments and completed a comprehensive national reform program following the international peace conference and the New York Declaration,” emphasizing the desire for “a democratic Palestinian state that respects the rule of law and human rights.” He concluded that “saving the two-state solution begins with preserving the land and protecting the people living on it,” adding that “occupation, settlement expansion, and annexation cannot serve as a solution or create lasting security.” He further rejected visa denials for the Palestinian delegation to New York, stressing that resorting to international law is a “peaceful, civilized choice, not an act hostile to peace.” The President noted that the transition period ends in 2027, aligning with Security Council Resolution 2803.

Key Demands and Warnings:

Protecting Holy Sites

An urgent halt to extremist attacks on holy sites was demanded to avert a widespread religious conflict.

Releasing Funds

The President demanded the immediate release of all Palestinian funds unlawfully withheld by Israel.

International Law Adherence

Reaffirming that recourse to international law and its institutions is a peaceful and civilized choice, not an act of hostility towards peace.

Preserving the Two-State Solution

Emphasizing that saving the two-state solution necessitates preserving Palestinian land and protecting its inhabitants.

Rejecting Trump Plan Phase 2

A clear rejection of expediting the second phase of President Trump’s plan.

Condemning E1 and Resolution 2334

Renewed warnings against the E1 plan and a call on the Security Council to implement Resolution 2334.

International Condemnation, Calls for Action to End Gaza Violence Amidst Unprecedented Economic Collapse

Echoing the urgency, Spain’s King Felipe VI also addressed the UN General Assembly, delivering a powerful plea to end the war in Gaza. “We implore, we demand, stop this massacre now… no more deaths in the name of a people that are so wise and ancient, who have suffered so greatly throughout history,” King Felipe declared.

He condemned the “devastation, the bombings, including of hospitals, schools, and places of refuge, in light of the countless civilian deaths, famine, starvation, and the forced displacement of hundreds of thousands of people.” King Felipe stressed the international community’s “responsibility to achieve as soon as possible a viable solution that would include the existence of two states.”

Gaza Faces “Worst Economic Crisis Ever Recorded,” UN Warns

In a chilling report, the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) announced that Gaza is experiencing the world’s most severe economic crisis on record. With nine out of ten businesses destroyed and hundreds of thousands unemployed, the territory faces unprecedented economic devastation.

Pedro Manuel Moreno, acting secretary-general of UNCTAD, stated, “The collapse of the economy of Gaza has wiped out decades of development and generated an acute economic crisis for its people.” The report, released September 24, 2026, details that 92 percent of Gaza’s economic establishments have been damaged or destroyed, leaving its daily per capita GDP at a mere $0.58. Prices have skyrocketed by 274 percent compared to 2022.

The Israeli military offensive, sparked by Hamas’s October 2023 attack and preceding a patchy ceasefire in October 2025, killed over 73,000 people according to the territory’s health ministry. It displaced nearly the entire population and obliterated most of its infrastructure.

Mutasim Elagraa, UNCTAD’s coordinator for assistance to the Palestinians, starkly summarized the human cost: “Before October 2023, two out of three Gazans were poor. Today, everyone in Gaza is multidimensionally poor.” Industrial and agricultural production have plummeted by 94 percent, with only 1.5 percent of arable land accessible, leading to “total dependence on humanitarian food aid.” Over 90 percent of Gaza’s working-age population is unemployed.

The report also highlighted an escalating economic and financial crisis in the occupied West Bank, attributing it to “reduced access to land and natural resources linked to (Israeli) settlement expansion.” Elagraa warned of a looming “banking collapse” in the Palestinian territories, predicting “immense political, social, and humanitarian consequences.”

UN Trade and Development estimates recovery and reconstruction needs at a staggering US$71.5 billion.