New york: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has voiced strong support for international efforts to revive the two-state solution, emphasizing that the establishment of a Palestinian state is “not a reward, but a right”.
According to Oman News Agency, Guterres made these remarks at the opening of the high-level international conference on the peaceful resolution of the Palestinian issue, held at the UN General Assembly headquarters in New York. He welcomed recent moves by several countries to mobilize support for the two-state solution, including pledges to recognize the State of Palestine.
In his address, the UN chief described the situation in Gaza and the West Bank as “collective punishment” of the Palestinian people and a systematic destruction of Gaza. He expressed disappointment over the absence of the Palestinian delegation from the conference, calling it a missed opportunity for dialogue and representation.
Guterres called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and stressed the urgent need for safe, full, and unhindered access to humanitarian aid. He warned that the continued expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and escalating settler violence are undermining the two-state solution and must cease.
The Secretary-General highlighted the critical need to preserve the prospect of a two-state solution, cautioning that an alternative one-state reality would deny Palestinians their rights, forcibly displace them, and subject them to perpetual occupation. He noted that such a scenario would not bring peace and would further isolate Israel internationally.
Concluding his remarks, Guterres emphasized the importance of establishing a sovereign and secure Palestinian state, existing alongside Israel based on the pre-June 4, 1967 borders, in accordance with relevant United Nations resolutions.