London: Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said on Thursday that peace in Middle East will not dawn without Palestinians having their full rights, Arab News reported.
Abbas told the UN General Assembly that occupation of Palestinian territory by Israel ‘violates the principles of international law and legitimacy’.
Adding further he said Israel is changing the historical, geographical and demographic reality of the area to continue with occupation and ‘entrenching apartheid’.
He hoped for the UN to implementing its resolution to end ‘the Israeli occupation of our territory’, leading to the independence of ‘fully sovereign state of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital, on the borders of June 4, 1967.’
Abbas accused Israel of continuing to attack Islamic and Christian sacred sites like Al-Aqsa Mosque, which he said is an internationally recognized exclusive place of worship for Muslims.
‘Army and its racist, terrorist settlers continue to intimidate and kill our people, to destroy homes and property to just steal our money and resources,’ he was quoted as saying.
Israel, according to him, is digging tunnels under and around the mosque which could lead to mosque’s full or partial collapse.
The tunnels he said ‘would lead to an explosion with untold consequences’.
He appealed to the international community to help preserve ‘the historic and legal status of Jerusalem and its holy sites’, according to the report.
‘I ask your esteemed organization and Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to call for and undertake the necessary arrangements to convene this peace conference, which may be the last opportunity to salvage the two-state solution and to prevent the situation from deteriorating more seriously, and threatening the security and stability of our region and the entire world,’ Abbas was quoted as saying.