New York, Sept. 25 -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who addressed the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly via video link after being denied a US visa, launched a scathing attack on Israel, accusing it of war crimes, illegal settlements and violations of international law.

Turning to the situation in the West Bank, Abbas said, "The extremist Israeli government continues to implement its settlement disease through illegal settlement expansion and developing projects for annexing settlements."

He specifically referred to Israel's latest E1 settlement plan, warning that it "would divide the West Bank into two parts and would isolate occupied Jerusalem from its surroundings and would undermine the option of the two-sta...