Indifference, the view from Gaza on the UN General Assembly amid Israel's genocidal war

For many Palestinians in Gaza, the annual gathering of world leaders in New York at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has become increasingly disconnected from the reality they face in their war-torn territory.

As the 81st session of the UNGA enters its third day, world leaders and senior officials are discussing wars, global crises and the future of the Palestinian issue, with Gaza once again taking centre stage in speeches and diplomatic meetings.

Today, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu set scheduled to speak, despite being wanted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity and other war crimes. Meanwhile, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was denied a visa to the United States, and will speak via video.

After nearly three years of the Israeli genocidal war, displacement and destruction, many Palestinians in Gaza, speaking separately to The New Arab, said they were focused on immediate concerns such as finding food and clean water, securing shelter, earning a living and protecting their children from the consequences of a war that continues to shape every aspect of their lives.

Three UN sessions, the same questions

The current General Assembly meeting is the third to take place since the Israeli genocidal war began in October 2023.

The proceedings are difficult to separate from the previous two sessions and what followed them for many Palestinians.

Mohammed Abu Jarad, a displaced man living with his family in a tent in central Gaza, told TNA that he finds it difficult to attach much significance to another round of international meetings.

"This is the third time the UNGA convened during the war. What was the outcome of the previous two times?" he asked. "Did the war stop? Did the UN, or the countries that gathered, manage to stop Israel from continuing the killing and bombing?"

"Each time, we heard about meetings and calls to end the war, protect civilians and allow aid to enter, only to return to the same reality. Israel persists, appearing stronger on the ground each time, while receiving American support, and we see the international community remaining silent in the face of what is happening to us," he added.

The question reflects a broader frustration among Gaza's residents who have watched successive diplomatic initiatives unfold while their own circumstances have continued to deteriorate.

Hadi Kamal, another Gaza-based man, told TNA that the repeated meetings have made many Palestinians focus less on the speeches themselves and more on their consequences.

"We have watched the General Assembly convene time and again since the war began. What has changed for us?" he said. "Gaza is still being killed and destroyed, people remain displaced, and Israel continues to control parts of the Strip and impose a new reality, while there is now talk of displacing the population."

"We aren't saying that General Assembly meetings are worthless, but we do question the results. If nations gather and issue statements, only for Israel to go right back to what it was doing, what are we supposed to expect from a third meeting?" he added.

World leaders talk peace, but do nothing

Gaza remains central to international discussions in New York.

French President Emmanuel Macron criticised what he described as the international community's failure to act over Gaza, while advocating recognition of a Palestinian state and warning about Israeli actions in the occupied West Bank.

At a high-level meeting on Palestine and the two-state solution, UN Secretary-General António Guterres also warned against measures that undermine the possibility of an independent and geographically contiguous Palestinian state, citing settlement activity, settler violence and other developments.

US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, met Arab and Muslim leaders in New York, with Gaza and Iran among the issues discussed. Trump spoke of a "historic peace agreement" for Gaza.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas participated in the high-level meeting by video link after the US refused to grant him a visa to attend the UN General Assembly in person.

According to the Palestinian news agency Wafa, Abbas said 160 countries had recognised the State of Palestine and called for an end to the war, an Israeli withdrawal, reconstruction and a political process leading to Palestinian statehood.

Yet these diplomatic developments have failed to generate the same level of attention among many Palestinians as they might have before the war.

Jamila Abu Sweireb, from al-Nuseirat refugee camp, recalled how closely she followed international meetings at the beginning of Israel's genocidal war.

"At the start of the genocide, we followed every word from the United Nations and every international meeting. We thought the world would stop the war," she said.

"Over time, people lost interest because they saw no tangible outcome. Today, when we hear about a new meeting, we immediately ask: Will anything actually change in Gaza this time?" she added.

A widening gap between words and reality

Gaza-based political analyst Ahed Ferwana told TNA that the indifference among some residents in Gaza reflects their experience of the war and what they perceive as a gap between international positions and their ability to influence events.

"The average citizen in Gaza has come to view the international position through the lens of its results," he said. "They might welcome any stance calling for an end to the war or supporting Palestinian rights, but ultimately, they ask: What has actually changed on the ground?"

He added that residents were no longer asking simply what governments could say, but what they could do.

"Can they stop the war? Can they protect civilians? Can they ensure delivery of aid? And can they prevent Israel from continuing its operations?" he said.

He explained that, from the perspective of Gaza's population, Israel had continued its operations despite international criticism, while US support remained an important factor in the course of the war.

"That is why citizens feel that Israel returns stronger each time, whereas international statements remain powerless to bring about the change they are waiting for," he continued.

Akram Atallah, another political analyst, similarly argued that Gazans have little opportunity to engage in international diplomacy as a separate issue from their daily survival.

"For the citizens in Gaza, the crisis is not a distant political issue but a matter of daily life," he told TNA. "They are living in a tent, have lost their home or a family member, or are searching for food, water and medicine. Naturally, their concern for what is happening on the ground far outweighs their interest in a meeting in New York."

"There is a gap between international rhetoric and the ability to implement it," Atallah added. "The Palestinian citizen clearly sees this gap because they live with its consequences every day."