The war in Gaza has dominated discussions at the UN General Assembly, as world leaders convene in New York to address the escalating conflicts around the globe.
The Israeli-Palestinian war, which began nearly a year ago, has since escalated to include conflict with Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
In what is likely his final address to the global body as US President, Joe Biden called on world leaders to take action in response to this pivotal moment.
“I truly believe we’re at another inflection point in world history,” he said.
Although President Biden did not directly address the recent detonations and air strikes that have killed hundreds in Lebanon, he expressed hope that diplomacy could bring an end to the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.
“Even from the horrors of war, there’s a way forward. Things can get better,” he said.
For months, the Albanese government has urged all Australians to leave Lebanon, with Foreign Minister Penny Wong reiterating the warning at the gathering.
“You would, I hope, have heard me say, and the prime minister … that we would urge dual nationals, Australian citizens, permanent residents, to take commercial options whilst they were still available,” she said.
“Whilst we are doing what we can to prepare contingency arrangements, the numbers of Australians in Lebanon are beyond the capacity of the government to provide assistance to all.”
President Biden once again called for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, emphasising that civilians were “going through hell”. During the meeting, he also addressed other conflicts around the world, including the civil war in Sudan, which has brought 8 million people to the verge of famine.
“Gaza is not the only conflict that deserves our outrage,” he said.
“The world needs to stop arming the generals, to speak with one voice and tell them, ‘Stop tearing your country apart, stop blocking aid to the Sudanese people, end this war now’.”
The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine was also highlighted, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy present in the General Assembly chamber. Zelenskyy plans to present a “victory plan” to President Biden in Washington, DC, on Thursday.
Photo: United Nations – New York, NY, USA by Giorgio Galeotti is available HERE and is used under a Creative Commons Licence. This image has been cropped for size.
