Israel's 'hideous' occupation will not last: PA president tells UN

Addressing the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, the Palestinian Authority (PA)'s president issued a tirade against the Israeli regime and its continued occupation of the Palestinian territories and aggression against Palestinians.

"My message today to the Israelis is that this hideous occupation against us will not last regardless of their ambitions and delusions, because the Palestinian people are remaining on their land, which they have inhabited for thousands of years, generation after generation," Mahmoud Abbas told the Assembly in New York on Thursday.

"They cannot leave their land, and if anyone must leave it must be the occupiers and usurpers," he added.

The Israeli regime claimed existence in 1948 after occupying huge swathes of Palestinian territories during a Western-backed war.

It occupied more land, namely the West Bank, including East al-Quds, and the Gaza Strip, in another such war in 1967.

Ever since, it has built hundreds of illegal settlements upon the overrun territories and deployed the most aggressive restrictions on the Palestinians there.

The PA president denounced the Israeli regime for exercising "apartheid policies on our people under occupation."

"My message to the international community is that it should assume its responsibilities with full courage and implement its resolutions related to realizing Palestinian rights," Abbas said.

The United States, Israel's biggest and oldest ally, has been using its veto power to strike down every anti-Tel Aviv resolution at the UN Security Council.

Palestinians have been condemning the US's unwavering support for Israel, saying the UN resolutions concerning Palestine would not be implemented as long as Tel Aviv enjoys Washington’s backing.

MG