Palestinian Authority leader urges Hamas to hand over arms at UN summit

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said on September 22 that Hamas must have no role in governing Gaza and called on the militant group to surrender its weapons to the Palestinian Authority (PA).

Speaking via video link at a United Nations summit on a two-state solution, Abbas stressed that the PA seeks a unified Palestinian state governed by one law and one legitimate security force, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

“What we want is one unified state without weapons, a state with one law and one legitimate security force,” he said.

The Palestinian leader also reiterated his commitment to hold presidential and parliamentary elections after the end of the ongoing conflict, and announced plans to draft an interim constitution within three months to ensure the transfer of authority from the PA to the state.

In addition, Abbas urged more nations to recognise Palestinian statehood, praising those countries that have already done so and calling on others to follow suit. “We call for your support so that Palestine becomes a fully-fledged member of the United Nations,” he said.

The summit also featured France’s announcement of its formal recognition of the Palestinian state, marking a significant step in international efforts toward a two-state solution.

The issue of Palestinian statehood has long been central to Middle East diplomacy. As of September 2025, approximately 79–80% of United Nations member states have formally recognised the State of Palestine, reflecting growing global support for Palestinian sovereignty and a two-state solution.

In recent weeks, several key nations have officially recognised Palestine, including France, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Andorra, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, and Monaco. France’s announcement at a high-level UN meeting marked a particularly significant step, emphasising that Palestinian statehood is a right and not contingent on political concessions to Hamas. Similarly, the UK formalised recognition to reinforce prospects for a peaceful two-state solution, while reaffirming that Hamas remains excluded from governance.

Other countries, such as Portugal and Spain, have voiced strong support for Palestinian statehood, underlining the principle of a two-state solution and condemning ongoing military escalations. In contrast, Israel has strongly opposed these recognitions, framing them as a reward for terrorism following the October 2023 Hamas attack, while the United States has largely remained neutral on these recent moves.

The broader international framework includes UN General Assembly Resolution ES-10/23, passed in May 2024, which urged the Security Council to consider Palestine’s bid for full UN membership favorably. The resolution passed with wide support, highlighting the growing international legitimacy of the Palestinian claim.

By Vugar Khalilov