At the opening of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 24, 2025, world leaders delivered some of the most impassioned and divisive speeches in recent memory, with the ongoing crisis in Gaza taking center stage. The debates, which spanned topics from climate change to the urgent need for institutional reform, laid bare the deep fractures that run through the international community—and the UN itself.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres wasted no time setting the tone, warning that the world has entered “an age of reckless disruption and relentless human suffering.” According to Kazinform News Agency, Guterres condemned the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, but was equally adamant that “the collective punishment of Palestinians and the devastation of Gaza are unacceptable.” He didn’t stop there, sounding a dire alarm on climate change and noting that the 1.5°C target is slipping out of reach—an issue he described as a multiplier of conflict, migration, and insecurity.
Annalena Baerbock, President of the General Assembly, acknowledged the extraordinary nature of this year’s gathering. She insisted the UN Charter remains vital, but only if member states choose to respect it, and called for a “renovation” of the institution to meet today’s crises.
Yet, it was the speeches on Gaza that truly electrified the Assembly. Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva didn’t mince words, describing the events in Gaza as genocide and linking the war to a broader erosion of democracy and multilateralism. “Poverty and hunger are as destabilizing as extremism,” he argued, urging decisive action from the international community.
Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan painted a grim picture, calling the conflict “not a fight against terrorism but occupation, deportation and genocide.” He accused those who remain silent of complicity and demanded immediate accountability under international law. Jordan’s King Abdullah II echoed the urgency, reminding the world of its unfulfilled promise of “Never again,” and arguing that security will only be possible with a genuine two-state solution.
South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa took the critique a step further, declaring a “growing consensus that Israel is committing genocide.” He tied the crisis to the urgent need for Security Council reform, pointing out the lack of permanent representation for Africa and South America despite their global significance. Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, meanwhile, condemned a recent Israeli strike in Doha that killed both Hamas members and a Qatari officer, stressing that only a strong Security Council stance can ensure Palestinians’ right to self-determination and the creation of a state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro didn’t hold back either, blasting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the United States, and Europe as “genocidal” and demanding an end to what he called the “genocide in Gaza,” as reported by the Colombian press. He also linked US military actions in the Caribbean to wider abuses driven by racism and domination.
On the sidelines, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Committee of Six on Palestine convened, with Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar calling the Gaza situation a “defining moment” for the Middle East and the Muslim world. According to Pakistani news sources, Dar cited the International Court of Justice’s description of the crisis as a case of “plausible genocide” and noted that since October 2023, more than 65,000 Palestinians—mostly women and children—have been killed by Israeli forces, who have also targeted civilian infrastructure including homes, hospitals, and schools. Dar laid out a ten-point list for the OIC: accountability for war crimes, reparations, compliance with ICJ rulings, support for Gaza’s reconstruction, deployment of an international protection mechanism, and recognition of an independent Palestinian state on pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. Pakistan also pledged to use its new Security Council seat to advance Palestinian statehood and press for Middle East peace.
Meanwhile, at a special UN Security Council session in Hamilton, Canada, most members united in denouncing Israel’s continued military escalation in Gaza and demanding an immediate ceasefire. South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, as Security Council president, labeled Gaza “one of the greatest challenges to international peace and security,” emphasizing that the scale of human suffering and implications for regional stability demand urgent, united action. He reiterated that a two-state solution remains the only viable pathway to peace.
Slovenia’s Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon described Gaza as “the deadliest place for children, humanitarian and medical workers, and journalists,” calling for immediate action against what she termed the “Gaza genocide.” Algeria’s Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf echoed the sentiment, describing the situation as a “full-fledged genocidal campaign” by Israel. British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper called Israel’s operations in Gaza City “incomprehensible, inhumane, and utterly unjustifiable,” demanding a ceasefire, the release of hostages, and the restoration of aid and medical support. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen described the assaults as a “humanitarian catastrophe of unbearable scale,” arguing that “the keys to recognition of the Palestinian state should no longer lie in the hands of the Israeli government.”
Greek Foreign Minister Georgios Gerapetritis condemned settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank, while France’s deputy UN envoy Jay Dharmadhikari said Paris stands ready to contribute to a stabilization mission. Russia’s UN envoy Vassily Nebenzia accused Israel of seeking “to take full control of all Palestinian territory” and warned that Gaza was being “systematically cleared.” He called on the US to stop viewing multilateral diplomacy as an enemy, accusing both Israel and the US of justifying strikes on hospitals, schools, and humanitarian convoys, and the deaths of women, children, and aid workers. Recent recognition of Palestinian statehood by several countries, he said, sent “an extremely important signal” that justice for Palestinians must be ensured.
In sharp contrast, US Ambassador Mike Waltz criticized the Security Council for prioritizing “performance over serious efforts to actually advance peace,” insisting the conflict could end “if Hamas accepted the negotiator’s proposals.” Waltz reiterated Washington’s “unwavering support” for Israel, focusing on the need for the release of hostages. According to the Anadolu Agency, Hamas claims to have repeatedly agreed to peace deals, only to have them rejected by Israel, which it accuses of prolonging the war for political gain.
Amid the heated rhetoric, calls for institutional reform echoed throughout the Assembly. Chile’s President Gabriel Boric emphasized the need for gender equality at the highest level of the UN, nominating former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet for Secretary-General and pointing out that in eighty years, the organization has never been led by a woman. Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev warned that “serious violations of international law have become a new normality” and argued for comprehensive UN reform, including expansion of the Security Council and stronger representation for Asia, Africa, Latin America, and middle powers. Tokayev also proposed Kazakhstan as a platform for renewed nuclear disarmament talks and highlighted that Central Asia is warming at twice the global rate, threatening water and food security for millions due to melting glaciers in the Alatau mountains.
Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto positioned his country as a peace broker, offering to deploy up to 20,000 peacekeepers to Gaza or other conflict zones such as Ukraine, Sudan, or Libya, and stressing the need for unity rather than fragmentation. For many leaders, the climate crisis was not a separate agenda item but a threat entwined with global instability.
The 80th UN General Assembly thus became a microcosm of the world’s divisions and hopes: fierce disagreement over Gaza, urgent calls for reform, and a shared recognition that the stakes—for peace, justice, and the planet—have never been higher.