President Donald Trump criticized members of the United Nations during a speech on Tuesday for officially recognizing a Palestinian state despite the Hamas terrorist organization still refusing to release multiple Israeli hostages. The president’s speech came after multiple Western countries formally recognized Palestine as a state this week.
During his speech at the United Nations General Assembly meeting on Tuesday, Trump emphasized the importance of reaching a ceasefire deal in Gaza between Israel and Hamas and explained that he has been “deeply engaged” in the process of achieving a ceasefire.
“Unfortunately, Hamas has repeatedly rejected reasonable offers to make peace. We can’t forget October 7, can we?” Trump said. “Now, as if to encourage continued conflict, some of this body is seeking to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state.”
Trump warned that recognizing a Palestinian state would be “too great” of a reward for Hamas terrorists in spite of their atrocities against Israel.
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“This would be a reward for these horrible atrocities, including October 7,” the president stated. “Even while they refuse to release the hostages or accept a ceasefire.”
Trump also suggested that the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas should have been “solved so long ago.”
The president added, “Instead of giving in to Hamas’s ransom demands, those who want peace should be united with one message: ‘Release the hostages now.’ Just release the hostages now.”
Trump told the United Nations that world leaders need to quickly come together to push for a ceasefire deal to end the war, negotiate peace in the Middle East, and secure the release of the hostages.
“We want all 20 back. We don’t want to do four,” Trump said. “We want them all back. And we want the, actually, 38 dead bodies back to whose parents came to me and they want them back. And they want them back very quickly.”
The president’s comments at the United Nations General Assembly come after Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom announced on Sunday that they would be officially recognizing the state of Palestine, according to CNN. The Associated Press reported that France also recognized a Palestinian state on Monday.
Asked about members of the United Nations officially recognizing Palestine as a state, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Fox News, “It’s irrelevant. It’s going to get a little bit of attention, but there is no Palestinian state.”
Rubio added that a Palestinian state is not “going to exist without Israel’s participation” and encouraged world leaders to instead spend their time discussing how to eliminate Hamas and end the war in the Middle East.
