At General Assembly, U.S. president demands Gaza truce, hostage release, and vows to block Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
UNITED NATIONS — In a combative address to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, President Donald Trump warned that recognizing Palestinian statehood while Hamas remains in power would hand extremists “too great a victory” and undermine any prospect of lasting peace.
“Those who want peace should unite behind the release of all hostages,” Trump said, urging an immediate Gaza ceasefire and declaring Hamas must be excluded from any future governance structure. He argued that peace negotiations cannot move forward until Hamas is dismantled, telling world leaders: “Hamas rejects reasonable peace offers. We have to stop the Gaza war immediately and get all 20 hostages back now.”
The remarks came as global momentum for Palestinian recognition gathers pace. Within 48 hours, France, Canada, Australia, Portugal and several European microstates announced recognition of a Palestinian state, joining the UK. Macron, speaking at a Franco-Saudi-led conference Monday, framed recognition as both a humanitarian imperative and a strategic bid to preserve the two-state solution. Israel has denounced the cascade of recognitions as “rewarding terrorism.”
Trump’s speech reflected a balancing act: calling for an end to the Gaza conflict while doubling down on America’s commitment to Israel’s security and rejecting what he framed as “premature” recognition of Palestinian sovereignty. He also used the moment to reiterate two longstanding pillars of U.S. policy: Iran must never be allowed to develop nuclear weapons, and Russia’s war in Ukraine must end with a “real deal.”
“Iran is the world’s number one sponsor of terror,” Trump said, vowing that Tehran will never be permitted to acquire “the most dangerous weapon.” On Ukraine, he accused Moscow of waging a self-defeating war while chastising China, India and even NATO allies for financing Russia through continued energy purchases. He floated new tariffs on Moscow if European states agreed to match U.S. measures.
Trump’s address also underscored his fraught relationship with the United Nations. He accused the body of “funding uncontrolled migration” and falling “far short of its mission,” even as he insisted the organization had “tremendous potential.” His criticism landed moments after Secretary-General António Guterres opened the session with a stark warning that the world faces “an age of reckless disruption and unrelenting human suffering,” citing Sudan, Ukraine and Gaza as flashpoints.
Behind the speeches, U.S. officials are pressing Arab and Muslim-majority states to agree to a post-war security plan for Gaza, potentially including international forces to facilitate an Israeli pullback. Indonesia has already pledged troops, while Qatar, Egypt, Jordan and others are expected to weigh in during Trump’s sideline meetings Tuesday night.
With the General Assembly dominated by the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Trump’s words carried both urgency and risk. His rejection of Palestinian recognition puts Washington at odds with close allies like France and Canada, even as he seeks Arab cooperation to manage Gaza’s future.
“Peace requires courage, not rewards for terror,” Trump said. “The world must decide if it wants to empower Hamas — or finally end this nightmare.”
