In UN speech, Trump slams allies’ Palestine recognition as 'reward' to Hamas

NEW YORK CITY — President Donald Trump used his address to the United Nations General Assembly to press for the release of hostages held by Hamas and condemn the flurry of US allies that recognized Palestinian statehood this week.

“Instead of giving in to Hamas' ransom demands, those who want peace should be united with one message: Release the hostages,” Trump said in his lengthy Tuesday remarks.

Of the 48 hostages who remain in the Gaza Strip, Israeli authorities estimate no more than 20 are still alive. Trump said his administration “got most of them back,” but retrieving the remainder is “going to be the hardest."

“We don’t want to get back two, then another two, and then one and then three,” Trump said. “No. We want them all back.”

Trump made no mention of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza during his nearly hour-long speech, nor did he acknowledge the war’s staggering Palestinian death toll, which surpassed 65,000 last week. He spoke on Tuesday as Israel intensified its ground offensive and heavy bombardment of Gaza City, forcing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to flee south to an Israeli-designated “humanitarian zone.” 

Aid organizations have warned that the long-threatened assault on Gaza City puts the remaining hostages at risk and further diminishes chances for a diplomatic resolution to the nearly two-year war. 

Trump on Tuesday called for immediate talks to end the conflict, which broke down after Israel conducted an airstrike on Sept. 9 targeting Hamas’ negotiating team in Qatar. Along with Egypt, the Gulf state has mediated indirect talks in pursuit of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. 

A day before Trump’s address to the General Assembly, key US allies endorsed Palestinian statehood during a United Nations meeting centered on advancing the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. France formally recognized Palestine at the summit, adding to the diplomatic pressure on Israel following similar declarations by countries including the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada.  

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to retaliate, stoking concern among US allies that Israel could move to annex parts of the occupied West Bank that Palestinians envision as part of their future independent state. Netanyahu’s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, said Sunday he would soon submit a proposal to apply Israeli “sovereignty” to the West Bank. 

Echoing Israel’s denunciation of Palestinian statehood recognition, Trump called it a “reward” that is "too great for Hamas terrorists," whose attack on Oct. 7 killed some 1,200 people in southern Israel and led to the abduction of 250 others.

Trump is expected to discuss the Gaza war during a multilateral meeting Tuesday afternoon with senior officials from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Indonesia and Pakistan. Axios reports that Trump plans to outline principles for a post-war plan that would involve deploying regional military forces to facilitate Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza.

The UN Security Council will convene an emergency session on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the war in Gaza. It comes days after the United States vetoed a draft resolution calling for a ceasefire and the release of hostages, saying the text did not sufficiently condemn Hamas or acknowledge Israel’s right to defend itself.