More than 140 world leaders will descend on New York next week for the annual United Nations General Assembly summit, which will be dominated this year by the future of the Palestinians and Gaza, AFP reports.

One world leader who will miss the gathering is Mahmud Abbas, the Palestinian president who Washington denied US visas to attend, along with his officials.

Kicking off on Monday, Saudi Arabia and France will co-chair meetings on the future of the Israeli and Palestinian two-state solution, which aims to see both sides existing alongside one another in peace.

After the overwhelming adoption last week by the General Assembly of a text supporting a future Palestinian state — albeit without Hamas — this meeting is expected to see the formal recognition of a Palestinian state by several countries, notably France.