President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia addresses the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at the UN headquarters on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. Abbas was denied a visa to enter the U.S. (Dave Sanders/The New York Times) By FARMAZ FASSIHI and MAX BEARAK Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas portrayed Israeli actions in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank as “a malicious colonial scheme” aimed at forcing Palestinians to leave their homeland. But he said he still hoped for “a democratic…
