Palestinian president calls for immediate end to Israeli war on Gaza

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called Thursday for an immediate end to Israel's ongoing onslaught on the Gaza Strip and withdrawal of Israeli forces from the enclave.

Achieving justice for the Palestinian people "is the most important test at this historical moment," Abbas said in his speech at the BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan.

“It's high time to stop the injustice and end the practices of military force and prolonging the occupation,” he said, calling for sanctions on Israel over its refusal to abide by UN resolutions.

Abbas also called for holding an international peace conference supervised by the UN and stakeholders to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

“We rely on the BRICS countries, which have become an influential and decisive force, in establishing the foundations of international peace and security,” he added.

The Israeli army has continued a devastating offensive on the Gaza Strip since a Hamas attack last year, despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.

More than 42,800 people have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 100,500 others injured, according to local health authorities.

Mediation efforts led by the US, Egypt, and Qatar to reach a Gaza cease-fire and prisoner swap agreement between Israel and Hamas have failed over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's refusal to halt the war.

The Israeli onslaught on Gaza has displaced almost the territory's entire population amid an ongoing blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine.

Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.