Palestinians face ‘genocidal war’ by Israel: Abbas

The Palestinian people face a "genocidal war" amid a deadly Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip, President Mahmoud Abbas said Sunday.

"Israel's genocidal war will not break our will," Abbas said in a speech marking the 59th anniversary of the Palestinian revolution.

"We will remain steadfast on our land and continue the struggle until we achieve victory and independence," he added.

The Palestinian leader stressed that the West Bank and the Gaza Strip "are one geographical unit that is indivisible."

Abbas went on to call for putting an end to the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip and for expediting the delivery of humanitarian aid to the blockaded enclave.

"The only solution is to seek a political solution based on international legitimacy resolutions through holding an international peace conference that ends the Israeli occupation of all the territories of the State of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and the return of refugees in accordance with UN Resolution 194," he added.

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip from the air and ground since the Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, killing at least 21,822 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injuring 56,451 others, according to health authorities in the enclave.

Nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.

The Israeli onslaught has left Gaza in ruins, with 60% of the enclave's infrastructure damaged or destroyed, and nearly 2 million residents displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine.