Summary

Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas demanded on Friday an end to Israeli occupation, telling the United Nations that “the hour of independence for Palestine has arrived”.

Abbas, however, did not set a deadline for fast-tracking to Palestinian statehood, after aides suggested they were eyeing 2017 as the year for Palestine to be born.

The Palestinian leader also vowed to seek war crimes prosecutions against Israel over the 50-day war in Gaza that killed 2,140 Palestinians, mostly civilians and left the enclave in ruins.

Abbas said a resolution backed by Arab countries would be presented to the UN Security Council to re-launch talks with a view to reaching a final settlement with Israel on the two-state solution.

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