ISTANBUL

As the 80th UN General Assembly continues in New York this week, with world leaders gathering in New York through Saturday, a rare consensus is emerging on the ongoing crisis in Gaza.

Heads of state and top diplomats have delivered urgent calls for an immediate ceasefire, unrestricted humanitarian access, and the protection of civilians amid what many call one of the gravest humanitarian catastrophes in history.

Multiple leaders, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon, and numerous Arab leaders have described the situation in Gaza as “genocide.”

The sessions from Monday through Wednesday have underscored escalating concern over Israel’s military operations, the systematic devastation in Gaza, and the growing international momentum for formal recognition of a Palestinian state as a cornerstone for regional stability and lasting peace.

Leaders have also highlighted the broader implications for global law, security, and humanitarian norms, signaling that the world is watching closely and expecting decisive action in the coming days.

'Famine is a reality': UN chief

In his opening speech to the General Assembly on Tuesday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described Gaza’s conflict as “one of the darkest chapters of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”

He condemned the Israel expanding settlements in the West Bank, its attacks on Qatar, and the systematic decimation of Gaza, which since October 2023 has killed over 65,000 Palestinians.

“Famine is a reality, with the population constantly forced to move and being starved ... To call this situation untenable and morally and legally indefensible does not begin to capture the scale of human suffering,” he added.

Türkiye

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, speaking at Monday’s UN Conference on Palestine, praised the recent recognition of Palestine by multiple states “historic” and demanded a ceasefire in Gaza, Israeli withdrawal, and an end to Israel’s illegal settlements.

Addressing the UN General Assembly, Erdogan on Tuesday said Israel’s occupation under the pretext of the events of Oct. 7, 2023 is not counterterrorism but rather “a policy of deportation, exile, genocide, and mass slaughter.”

“Israel is not limiting itself to Gaza and the West Bank; by carrying out attacks on Syria, Iran, Yemen, and Lebanon, it is also threatening regional peace,” he added.

The Turkish leader said Israel “completely lost control” after its attack on Qatar earlier this month.

Europe

European leaders have repeatedly condemned Israel’s operations in Gaza.

Addressing the General Assembly, French President Emmanuel Macron warned Tuesday that Israel will achieve “no stability with permanent war” and supported the New York Declaration calling for the creation of a Palestinian state, which enjoys the backing of 142 states.

He underlined the need for peace across the Middle East, stressing that conflict with Palestine, Lebanon, and other regional actors only fuels instability.

The president also noted that a credible plan was adopted Tuesday to end the war in Gaza and preserve a two-state solution.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Wednesday accused Israel of crossing the line of proportionality in Gaza.

“Israel has exceeded that limit with a large-scale war disproportionately involving the Palestinian civilian population. And it is in crossing this limit that Israel has ended up violating humanitarian norms, causing a massacre among civilians,” she said in her address to the General Assembly.

She stressed Italy’s support for a two-state solution and said Rome would back “some of the sanctions proposed by the European Commission against Israel.”

Meloni also urged Israel to “get out of the trap of this war” for the sake of peace, democracy, and international norms.

As EU foreign ministers gathered in New York for informal talks on the sidelines of the General Assembly on Monday, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares called for EU sanctions on Israel, warning against “turning Gaza into a vast graveyard.”

Xavier Bettel, Luxembourg’s foreign minister, stressed that recognizing Palestine is “not a gesture against Israel,” while Romanian Foreign Minister Oana-Silvia Toiu reaffirmed support for Ukraine and highlighted Gaza’s humanitarian crisis.

On Wednesday, at a high-level UN event on Palestinian children in the West Bank and Gaza, Belgian Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot emphasized that Palestinian children’s suffering is “the result of political choices” and demanded protection and unhindered aid.

King Felipe VI of Spain implored the world to “stop the massacre in Gaza now” in a Wednesday address to the General Assembly, calling for a ceasefire, the release of hostages, and rapid implementation of a two-state solution.

Speaking at the General Assembly on Wednesday, Finnish President Alexander Stubb called the humanitarian crisis in Gaza “unbearable,” demanding the end of Israel’s 1967 occupation.

Hadja Lahbib, the EU commissioner for preparedness, crisis management and equality, told the UN event on Palestinian children in the West Bank and Gaza how famine was declared in Gaza City, noting that over 44,000 children face acute malnutrition.

The chorus decrying the Gaza crisis included European Council President Antonio Costa and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who announced an EU fund to rebuild Gaza tied to a two-state solution, and Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon, who said Gaza is suffering “what international law defines as genocide.”

Middle East

Arab and Muslim leaders convened alongside US President Donald Trump and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on Wednesday demanding an immediate ceasefire, the end of forced displacement, and a Gaza reconstruction plan under the Arab/Organization of Islamic Cooperation framework.

In his address to the General Assembly, Jordan’s King Abdullah II condemned Israel’s calls for a “Greater Israel,” and at a high-level meeting on the sidelines of the assembly, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, and Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi all reaffirmed support for a two-state solution.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Tuesday called for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon and implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, telling the General Assembly: “There can be no development without peace, no peace without justice, no justice without human rights.”

Asia-Pacific

During a UN conference on Palestine in New York City on Monday, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese urged Israel to accept responsibility for Gaza’s humanitarian catastrophe and warned that further settlements and annexation endanger any two-state solution.

On the situation in Gaza, he noted “tens of thousands of civilians have been killed, desperate people, including children denied vital aid; aid workers killed, including Australian … (and) journalists killed (while) trying to bring the truth to light.”

“We must choose a different path, we must break a cycle of violence and build something better,” he added.

In his General Assembly address, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto offered Tuesday to deploy 20,000 peacekeepers to Gaza if authorized by the UN Security Council.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Tuesday called Israel’s operations “entirely unacceptable,” warning that famine threatens the two-state solution, while Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya warned Wednesday that Japan will take “new measures” if Israel blocks Palestinian recognition.

Africa

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called Tuesday for the International Court of Justic to rule that genocide is being committed in Gaza, citing a growing global consensus.

“South Africa has acted in the interests of saving lives by insisting that the International Court of Justice should make a ruling that indeed genocide is being committed in Gaza and that it should stop,” said Ramaphosa in his address to the General Assembly.

“We have the ultimate responsibility to ensure and protect the rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination,” consistent with South Africa’s ICJ case against Israel, he said.

America

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday addressed world leaders directly, saying, “We have to stop the war in Gaza immediately,” adding that he has been “deeply engaged” in trying to secure a ceasefire.

“We have to get it done. We have to negotiate peace. We have to get the hostages back,” he said.

Addressing the General Assembly, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Tuesday called Gaza’s situation “genocide.”

He warned that the “Palestinian people are at risk of disappearing” and would only survive “with an independent state.”