Granting recognition to Palestine is rewarding Hamas, says Trump at UNGA

New Delhi, Sep 23 (IANS) United States President Donald Trump, in his first speech on Tuesday, at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), after assuming office for the second time this year, told Hamas to return every prisoner held hostage, the bodies of every hostage killed, back to Israel.

He was critical of the terror group over the ongoing crisis in Gaza.

“As everyone knows, I’ve also been deeply engaged in seeking a ceasefire in Gaza. Unfortunately, Hamas has repeatedly rejected reasonable offers to bring peace,” he said on the Gaza conflict.

Terming the recognition of the state of Palestine by a majority of the members of the United Nations as a “reward” to the terror group, he stated, “We can’t forget October 7, 2023. Now, as if to encourage engineered conflict, some of these bodies are seeking to unilaterally recognise the Palestinian state.”

Trump’s appearance at the 80th session of the UNGA in New York coincides with rising concerns among world leaders over the condition of the inhabitants of Gaza under continued attack from Israel.

As anticipated, in his speech, the US President reiterated his stand against the recognition of Palestinian statehood.

Even while claiming that he has succeeded in stopping seven wars in his seven months as President in the second term in office, he held Hamas responsible for the pounding still continuing in Gaza.

Though in his reference to the war in Ukraine, he named President Vladimir Putin as a key player in stopping the conflict, he did not refer to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel on the Gaza issue.

When President Trump took to the podium to address the UNGA, with the announcements by France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, and Andorra on Monday, at the UN headquarters in New York, 156 countries had officially recognised the state of Palestine.

This followed similar statements coming earlier from the United Kingdom, Portugal, Australia, and Canada.

Expectedly, the move was welcomed by Palestine, but Israel has been critical.

Much like Trump’s statement on Tuesday, Jerusalem had responded by stating that the recognition of Palestine as a state without going down strongly on the Hamas organisation serves as a reward for it.

The terror group was responsible for the brutal attack carried out on October 7, 2023, in southern Israel.

The United Nations comprise 193 sovereign states. Palestine itself has observer status; its membership was earlier vetoed by the United States, one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.

-- IANS

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