President Dr. Irfaan Ali did not mince words when he addressed the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, telling world leaders that what is unfolding in Gaza is “not warfare, but mass extermination.”
The Guyanese Head of State declared, “Those who escape the bombs and bullets are condemned to die slowly, starved of food, water, and hope. This is a war crime.”
He warned that the UN’s mission to maintain peace and security will ring hollow if power is allowed to “triumph over principle and might to override right.”
Dr. Ali reiterated Guyana’s condemnation of Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on Israel and renewed the call for the “immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.” But he insisted Israel’s response has gone far beyond self-defense, accusing it of systematically slaughtering and displacing Palestinian men, women, and children.
“The international community must not remain paralysed, while an entire people is annihilated. Impunity must never triumph over justice,” Ali urged.
He called on Qatar, Egypt, and the United States to continue mediation efforts, while emphasizing the urgency of a two-state solution.
The President also touched on other global crises, including the war in Ukraine, worsening gang violence in Haiti, and the persecution of women in Afghanistan.
