‘The crimes in Gaza must stop’ – Mahama tells UN General Assembly

President John Dramani Mahama has issued a strong call for an end to what he described as crimes being committed against Palestinians in Gaza, urging world leaders not to shy away from naming the atrocities for what they are.

Speaking at the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York, President Mahama criticised the reluctance of the global body to confront the crisis directly.

“For nearly two years, and for the fear of reprisal, we here in this General Assembly have been playing hide-and-seek with language to find the right words to help us avoid or excuse what we all know is taking place there.

“But here’s the thing, it doesn’t matter what you call it: if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, well then… It must be a duck. The crimes in Gaza must stop,” he declared.

The Ghanaian leader said the suffering of Palestinians could no longer be ignored, stressing that “hundreds of thousands of innocent people” were enduring “collective punishment and forced starvation for no reason other than the fact that they are Palestinian.”

Reaffirming Ghana’s recognition of Palestine since 1988, President Mahama reiterated his support for a two-state solution, rejecting claims that it would amount to rewarding Hamas.

Instead, he argued, it offered the best chance of delivering justice and relief to civilians caught in the conflict.

Mahama also condemned the recent decision to deny visas to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his delegation, describing it as a “bad precedent” and a direct threat to the integrity of the UN system.

While he acknowledged broader global challenges—including rising nationalism, economic instability, and the erosion of multilateralism—President Mahama warned that Gaza remained a moral test for the world’s leaders.