RAMALLAH, Palestine 

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas urged US President Joe Biden on Saturday to "immediately intervene to stop the ongoing Israeli genocide of the Palestinian people," according to the official Palestinian news agency, WAFA.

Abbas also urged Biden "to press for the entry of badly needed humanitarian aid into the besieged Gaza Strip," during a televised speech.

"President Biden, I call on you, with all your official and humane qualities, to stop this humanitarian catastrophe, this genocide against our innocent people. History will not absolve anyone of these crimes," he said.

Abbas stressed that "the Palestinian people deserve to live on their homeland with freedom and dignity."

Israel has killed more than 12,300 Palestinians in its air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 surprise offensive by the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas. The official Israeli death toll, meanwhile, stands at about 1,200.

Thousands of buildings, including hospitals, mosques and churches, have been damaged or destroyed in Israel’s relentless strikes on the besieged enclave.

An Israeli blockade has also cut Gaza off from fuel, electricity and water supplies, and reduced aid deliveries to a trickle.

Israel has rejected growing calls for a cease-fire until the release of hostages held by Hamas.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar