Joe Biden calls for diplomatic solution to Middle East conflict in final United Nations address

Joe Biden has called for an end to conflicts in the Middle East in his final address to world leaders at the UN General Assembly.

In his speech in New York, the US president said now was the time for Israel and Hamas to finalise the terms of a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza.

Mr Biden said the families of those taken hostage were “going through hell” and added: “Innocent civilians in Gaza are also going through hell.”

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Speaking about Israel and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon edging closer to an all-out war, Mr Biden said: “Full-scale war is not in anyone’s interest.

“A diplomatic solution is still possible. In fact, it remains the only path to lasting security.”

Mr Biden also condemned Israeli settler violence against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank and said progress towards peace in the Middle East would put the world in a stronger position to respond to “the ongoing threat posed by Iran”.

“Together we must deny oxygen to its terrorist proxies,” he said – referring to Iran-backed groups Hamas, Hezbollah and Houthi militants in Yemen – “and ensure that Iran will never, ever obtain a nuclear weapon.”

He had a more hopeful outlook for the Middle East when he addressed the UN a year ago, when he spoke of a “sustainable, integrated Middle East” coming into view.

During his speech, Mr Biden also praised the support his Western allies have given to Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2022.

“The good news is Putin’s war has failed in its core aim. He set out to destroy Ukraine, but Ukraine is still free,” he said.

He called for world leaders to continue their support for Ukraine, adding: “We cannot grow weary. We cannot look away, and we will not let up on our support for Ukraine, not until Ukraine wins with a just, durable peace.”

Little sign of urgency from president on diplomatic intervention in Middle East

Dominic Waghorn

International affairs editor

@DominicWaghorn

It was not the high note Joe Biden would have hoped for in his last speech at the UN.

With the world in crisis on so many fronts in the dying months of his presidency, there was little hope of that.

Mr Biden has built so much of his political career in foreign policy and yet his legacy overseas is now unravelling.

It was far from his finest speech. He went through the list of achievements and challenges. His words lacked conviction. His tone was flat.

Most of all the speech was overshadowed by the spiralling crisis in the Middle East. On that, the president seemed tin-eared.

He spoke of the ceasefire deal his diplomats have tried to forge over Gaza. It is for now dead in the water but not for Mr Biden. “Now is a time for the parties to finalise terms,” he said.

What the region needs now is urgent diplomatic intervention by the US and its allies here at the UN.

There was little sign of that urgency from the president in this speech. He seemed to be going through the motions in the twilight of his presidency.

‘Some things are more important than staying in power’

With four months left in office, the speech was one of Mr Biden’s last high-profile opportunities as president to put forward the case for American support for Ukraine, which could be placed in doubt if former president Donald Trump defeats vice president Kamala Harris.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is still trying to galvanise Mr Biden into loosening restrictions on the use of Western-supplied long-range missiles, so Ukrainian forces can use them to hit targets in Russia.

Mr Biden will hear from Mr Zelenskyy about a new Ukrainian peace plan when they meet in Washington this Thursday.

During the course of the war, Mr Biden has initially resisted Ukrainian requests for certain military assets, such as M1 Abrams tanks and F-16 fighter jets, before relenting and agreeing to their use.

Mr Biden concluded his final speech to the UN General Assembly as US president with a message to world leaders: “My fellow leaders, let us never forget, some things are more important than staying in power. It’s your people.”