Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has addressed the United Nations General Assembly, slamming Israel’s campaign in Gaza.

Addressing the Assembly by video link, the Palestinian president said that over the past two years, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have been “facing a war of genocide, destruction, starvation and displacement waged by the Israeli occupation forces”.

Abbas stated that Israel killed and injured more than 220,000 Palestinians, the majority being unarmed women, children and the elderly.

“[This is] a war in which they displaced hundreds of thousands and prevented the entry of food and medical supplies and caused the starvation of 2 million Palestinians,” he added.

“They imposed a stifling siege on an entire people and destroyed more than 80 per cent of homes, schools, hospitals, churches, mosques, facilities and infrastructure.

“What Israel is carrying out is not merely an aggression, it is a war crime and a crime against humanity which has been documented.”