ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The first day of the UN General Assembly debates kicked off on Tuesday, with world leaders gathered in New York listening to speeches by US President Donald Trump, Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and other heads of state, with Israel's genocide in Gaza and the aftermath of a wave of Western recognition of Palestinian statehood being salient in the addresses.

Following opening speeches by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who warned that the "pillars of peace and progress are buckling under the weight of impunity, inequality, and indifference," and the Assembly's president, Trump delivered an address in which he vociferously criticized the UN's efficacy as an instrument of peace.

Claiming that his mediation has resolved seven wars around the globe, the US president lashed out at the UN for failing to assist peace efforts, saying that "all they seem to do is write a really strongly worded letter... It's empty words, and empty words don't solve war."

Trump proceeded to highlight his efforts to bring about an end to the ongoing war in Gaza: "I have also been deeply engaged in seeking a ceasefire in Gaza. We have to get that done, we have to get it done... Unfortunately, Hamas has repeatedly rejected reasonable offers to make peace."

Trump was also scathing regarding the recent flurry of recognition of a Palestinian state by Western allies such as France, the UK, Canada, Australia, and more, saying that the move merely serves to reward Hamas for the "horrible atrocities" committed by the Palestinian militant group on October 7, 2023. 

On this count, the firebrand leader was called out by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who highlighted the fact that the US has repeatedly availed of its UN Security Council veto to shutter resolutions calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and a two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"This is the solution defended by 150 UN members, reaffirmed yesterday here in this very plenary, but barred by a single [US] veto," Lula said from the lectern. 

"It is regrettable that [Palestinian] President Mahmoud Abbas was prevented by the host country [the US], from occupying the Palestinian bench at this historical moment," he continued, referncing Washington's refusal to issue a visa to Abbas to attend the proceedings.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also used his speech to highlight the plight of Gazans, saying that "today is the day to stand upright by the oppressed Palestinians in the name of humanity. While your people react against the barbarism in Gaza, have the courage to follow through.”

Holding up a picture of a starving, emaciated Palestinian child, Erdogan asked, "What conscience can endure, what conscience can remain silent on this? Can there be peace in the world where children die from hunger, lack of medicine?"

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, during his address, offered to deploy at least 20,000 Indonesian soldiers as peacekeepers in Gaza to secure a post-ceasefire peace.

French President Emmanuel Macron, whose country recognized the State of Palestine on Monday, told reporters on the sidelines of the Assembly that Trump winning the Nobel Peace Prize, an accolade he has been vocal about seeking to earn, will only be possible if the US president brings about peace in Gaza.

The high-level general debate of the UN General Assembly is set to continue until Monday, with the Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani set to address the international forum on Sunday.