Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday accused Israel of genocide during the 50-day war in Gaza that has claimed the lives of more than 2,000 Palestinians as he spoke before world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly.

Abbas vowed seek punishment for those guilty of war crimes. However, he did not say if he intended to elevate the case to the International Criminal Court, Fox News reported.

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The Palestine leader also lashed out at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's administration for intentionally undermining peace efforts. He cited Jerusalem's continued seizure of Palestine territory, forcible displacement of locals in the West Bank and violation of agreements.

On Monday, Netanyahu hit back and accused Hamas of committing "the real war crimes" by hiding behind Palestinian civilians, the report said.

If Israel intended to carry out genocide, it would not have bothered to send evacuation warnings through flyers, phone calls, text messages and television notices, Netanyahu pointed out.

The Israeli PM said he wants peace with Palestine. He stressed the need for a broader establishment of harmonious relations between Israel and other Arab states including Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.

Earlier, Israel's Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Abbas' comments negatively reflect his stance toward diplomatic negotiations and accused him of "diplomatic terrorism," according to the report.

Likewise, U.S. State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki said the Palestinian leader's speech was deeply disappointing, adding that such provocative declarations only served to undermine efforts to foster trust between the parties.

The war in Gaza has weakened Abbas' influence domestically while his rivals have been enjoying a surge in support among locals for fighting Israel. He is facing pressure to arrive at a political solution to establish a Palestinian state through U.S.-brokered talks with Israel.

Abbas has signaled he plans to ask the UN Security Council to pass a motion to end Israeli occupation but Israel and the U.S. say the only solution to end the conflict is through direct talks between both sides.

TagsIsrael, Palestine, Gaza War, Benjamin Netanyahu, Mahmoud Abbas, genocide, War Crimes, Israel-Palestine ceasefire