President John Dramani Mahama has called for an immediate end to the ongoing violence in Gaza, describing the humanitarian situation as “collective punishment” against innocent civilians.
Addressing the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York on Thursday, September 25, 2025, President Mahama urged world leaders to stop “playing hide and seek” with language and confront the reality of the crisis.
“The crimes in Gaza must stop,” he declared. “It doesn’t matter what you call it: if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, well then… it must be a duck.”
Mahama highlighted Ghana’s long-standing support for a two-state solution, recalling that the country recognised the State of Palestine in 1988. He rejected claims that a two-state solution would amount to a reward for Hamas.
“Contrary to what some have claimed, a two-state solution would not be a reward for Hamas,” he said. “It would rather be a reprieve for the hundreds of thousands of innocent women and children who are facing collective punishment and forced starvation for no reason other than the fact that they are Palestinian.”
The Ghanaian leader criticised the international community’s hesitation in describing the situation accurately, stressing that avoiding clear language only perpetuates suffering.
“For nearly two years, and for fear of reprisals, we here in this General Assembly have been playing hide and seek with language to find the right words to help us avoid or excuse what we all know is taking place in Gaza,” Mahama told delegates.
He concluded his speech with a renewed call for decisive action to bring an end to the conflict and secure lasting peace.
“The crimes in Gaza must stop,” he reiterated.
