Abbas: Israel Assault Won't Halt U.N. Bid, Ban to Visit Gaza in Two Days
Israel's bombing campaign in Gaza will not derail a Palestinian bid to seek upgraded membership at the United Nations later this month, president Mahmud Abbas said on Friday.
"What is happening in Gaza is aimed at preventing our request to get the status of non-member state the United Nations, but we will vote on the resolution on November 29," he said in a televised address.
"No-one can stop us," he said.
Abbas also announced that U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will visit the Palestinian territories "in two or three days”.
Ban's spokesman confirmed that Ban would visit the region "shortly," and diplomats at the United Nations said the U.N. chief would press Israel and the Palestinians to agree a truce.
The visit will take place around 10 days before Abbas plans to make a controversial bid to secure upgraded Palestinian membership at the United Nations, in a move strongly opposed by Israel and the United States.
On Wednesday, Israel's foreign ministry proposed toppling Abbas's West Bank-based Palestinian Authority should he succeed in winning the upgrade on November 29.
Source: Agence France Presse
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