President John Dramani Mahama has called for decisive international action over the situation in Gaza, condemning collective punishment, enforced starvation and mass displacement of civilians as violations of international law.
Addressing the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Thursday, September 24, 2026, President Mahama questioned how many more lives must be lost before the international community takes decisive action.
“How many more innocent lives must be lost before the world acts with decisive moral authority?” he asked.
President Mahama said the international community must confront the situation in Gaza without using diplomatic language to obscure the scale of the human suffering.
“We must stop using diplomatic euphemisms to veil the human carnage taking place in Gaza,” he said.
He specifically condemned the treatment of civilians, stating: “Collective punishment, enforced starvation, and mass displacement are flagrant violations of international law.”
President Mahama reaffirmed Ghana’s recognition of the sovereign State of Palestine and its support for a viable Two-State solution, under which Israel and Palestine would live side-by-side in peace, security and with guaranteed borders.
At the same time, he condemned all acts of terrorism by Hamas that triggered the conflict and insisted that international humanitarian law must apply to all parties.
“We insist that all parties unconditionally respect international humanitarian law. Our moral standards cannot be selective,” he said.
President Mahama further called for a consistent standard in responding to conflicts around the world, stressing the need to respect sovereign integrity, protect civilians, guarantee unhindered humanitarian access and hold perpetrators of war crimes accountable.
“Across every conflict, whether in Europe, the Middle East, or Africa, the standard must remain uniform: respect sovereign integrity, protect civilians, ensure unhindered humanitarian access, and hold perpetrators of war crimes accountable,” he said.
