PM's meeting with President Abbas

The Prime Minister met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at UNGA this afternoon.

President Abbas opened by condemning the Hamas attacks of October 7th. He also highlighted the civilian death toll in Gaza since then, with 41k killed and 100k injured, plus 70% of infrastructure devastated. The Prime Minister agreed that the loss of civilian life had been intolerable. 

The President and Prime Minister also condemned the increase in settler violence and settlement activity there has been on the West Bank. 

The President and Prime Minister agreed that we need an immediate ceasefire, the release of the hostages and a surge in humanitarian aid getting in. 

They also discussed what needed to come next in terms of supporting and reforming the Palestinian Authority and working towards a political horizon which was the only long term solution to this crisis: a viable Palestinian state along a safe and secure Israel.