Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, during his speech at the UN General Assembly, accused Israel of committing war crimes in Gaza.
Abbas said that Israel should be punished for carrying out a "war of genocide" in Gaza, but stopped short of saying he would take the issue to the International Criminal Court, the BBC reports.
Meanwhile, Israel and the US issued strong condemnation of Abbas' remarks, describing it as "offensive".
Abbas claimed that the destruction in Gaza was far more than earlier wars.
He told the UN General Assembly in New York that the last war against Gaza was a series of absolute war crimes carried out before the eyes and ears of the entire world.
He ruled out the possibility of holding talks with Israel, saying that there was no meaning or value in negotiations for which the agreed objective was not ending the Israeli occupation and achieving the independence of the State of Palestine.
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Criticizing Abbas for his words, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said that his speech was filled with lies, adding that it showed that he was not capable of being a partner for a reasonable diplomatic agreement.
US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said President Abbas's speech "included offensive characterisations that were deeply disappointing".
She said that such provocative statements are counterproductive and undermine efforts to create a positive atmosphere and restore trust between the parties.
