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20:54 GMT
WASHINGTON, Sept 23 (KUNA) -- US President Donald J. Trump stressed the need of release hostages from Gaza Strip, criticizing the UN member countries that stated intent to recognize the State of Palestine.
"Those who support peace (in the Middle East) should be united in demanding the release of the captives," he said in his inaugural speech to the 80th session of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday.
"As if to encourage continued conflict, some of this body is seeking to unilaterally recognize the Palestinian state," Trump said, describing the recognition as "rewards would be too great for Hamas."
"This would be a reward for these horrible atrocities. Including October 7, even while they refused to release the hostages or accept a cease fire instead of giving to Hamas and giving so much because they've taken so much.
"They have taken so much. This could have been solved so long ago. But instead of giving in to Hamas ransom demands, those who want peace should be united with one message, release the hostages now.
"Just release the hostages now. Thank you. Thank you. As we have got to come together, and we will come together, going to get it done, we have to stop the war in Gaza immediately.
"We have to stop it. We have to get it done. We have to negotiate, immediately have to negotiate peace. We've got to get the hostages back.
"We want all 20 back. We don't want two and four. As you know, I got, along with (US special envoy to the Middle East) Steve Witkoff and others that helped us, (US Secretary of State) Marco Rubio, we got most of them back.
"We were involved in all of them. But I always said the last 20 are going to be the hardest and that's exactly what happened. We have to get them back now.
"We don't want to get back two then another two and then one and then three, have this process. No, we want them all back and we want the actually 38 dead bodies back too.
"Those parents came to me and they want them back and they want them back very quickly and very badly. As though they were alive, they want them," he added.
The 80th session of the General Assembly, themed "Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights," gathered heads of state and government from 180 UN member countries. (end)
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