Palestinian Authority leader addresses U.N. as Gaza death toll mounts

As famine and violence continue in Gaza, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas delivered a remote address to the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday.

(CNN)- As famine and violence continue in Gaza, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas delivered a remote address to the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday. The Trump administration barred him from entering the U.S. by denying a visa, leaving Palestine’s ambassador to the U.N., Riyad Mansour, as its sole representative at the gathering.

“If they think that this way they will silence us, they’re mistaken,” Mansour said.

Abbas’ remarks followed a U.N. inquiry and a finding by the International Association of Genocide Scholars that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. The Palestinian Health Ministry estimates about 65,000 people have died in the conflict, while a U.N. agency warns more than half a million Gazans are starving.

British-Australian doctor Saya Aziz, volunteering in Gaza, pleaded emotionally, “What has this baby done?” U.N. Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher described grim scenes: “I met kids who had had amputations without anesthetics. It’s horrendous. Kids dying of starvation, effectively their bodies consuming their own organs.”

Israel denies committing genocide, maintaining its actions are self-defense. “Only pressure on Hamas will move the needle,” said Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration is advancing a 21-point plan aimed at achieving a ceasefire but has reiterated its opposition to a two-state solution. President Trump said Tuesday, “Instead of giving in to Hamas’s ransom demands, those who want peace should be united with one message: release the hostages now.”