San Francisco Frontiers - Gaza, Palestinian future to dominate UN gathering

One world leader who will miss the gathering is Mahmud Abbas, the Palestinian president who Washington denied US visas to attend, along with his officials.

Two years after the beginning of the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip, triggered by the unprecedented Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, the humanitarian catastrophe ravaging the small Palestinian territory will dominate debates at the high-level event.

Kicking off Monday, Saudi Arabia and France will co-chair meetings on the future of the Israeli and Palestinian two-state solution, which aims to see both sides existing alongside one another in peace.

After the overwhelming adoption last week by the General Assembly of a text supporting a future Palestinian state -- albeit without Hamas -- this meeting is expected to see the formal recognition of a Palestinian state by several countries, notably France.

International Crisis Group analyst Richard Gowan called it a "symbolic" gesture that could have real significance "if the countries that recognize Palestine follow up with further steps to try and put pressure on Israel to end its campaign in Gaza."

Gowan warned of Israeli reprisals and a risk of "escalation" by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who will address the General Assembly and has firmly said there will be no Palestinian state on his watch.

The United States, Israel's main ally, has opposed recognition and vowed to deny visas to the Palestinian delegation, including Abbas.

The Assembly will then vote Friday to authorize the Palestinian president to speak via video link.

All eyes will be on US President Donald Trump when Abbas speaks at the gathering, which brings much of Manhattan to a standstill every year as motorcades and heavily-armed security escorts sweep up First Avenue.

Since his return to the White House, Trump has initiated massive cuts to US foreign aid, hammering UN agencies as humanitarian needs grow.

Engulfed by deep financial crisis and raging wars, the UN quietly celebrated its 80th anniversary while fending off criticism of its efficacy.

- 'Existential threat' -

"The multilateral system... is under an existential threat," said Federico Borello, Interim Executive Director at Human Rights Watch.

"Norms are being weakened when powerful states, that include permanent members of the Security Council, either commit or are complicit in serious violations of international humanitarian law, as is happening in Gaza, in Ukraine and elsewhere."

"People are demanding answers and action, actions that match the gravity of the challenges our world faces, actions that meet the expectations of all those on the outside looking in," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said while calling for action on Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan and climate change.

Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa will be a prominent new addition to the group of nearly 140 world leaders, which also includes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

All eyes will be on Sharaa nearly a year after his forces overthrew Bashar al-Assad, as he now confronts the challenges of rebuilding after years of civil war.

Iran's nuclear program will also be high on the agenda as sanctions against Tehran lifted ten years ago could be reinstated at the end of September, following a process triggered in late August by Paris, London, and Berlin.

Guterres and President Lula will also organize a climate summit on Wednesday where some states may announce new goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, just weeks ahead of COP30 in Brazil.

M.Hill--SFF