The Israeli government's rejection of a two-state solution with an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel is “unacceptable” and risks “prolonging the conflict,” the UN Secretary General told the Security Council.
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“The clear and repeated rejection of the two-state solution last week at the highest level of the Israeli government is unacceptable,” said Antonio Guterres during this Council meeting in the presence of numerous foreign ministers.
“This refusal and the denial of the Palestinian people's right to a state could indefinitely prolong a conflict that has become a major threat to international peace and security,” he added in New York.
“It could exacerbate polarization and embolden extremists everywhere.”
“The right of the Palestinian people to establish their own, fully independent state must be recognized by all. And any refusal by any party to accept the two-state solution must be firmly rejected,” he stressed, believing that this solution is “the only way to achieve a lasting and just peace in Israel, Palestine and the entire region “.
The Israeli government is refusing to discuss a “two-state solution,” angering the international community, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week reiterated his opposition to “Palestinian sovereignty.”
He had previously stated that Israel must control the security of “the entire area west of the Jordan,” including the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
“The Israeli occupation must end,” demanded Antonio Guterres, while repeating his call for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire.”
The war was sparked by Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israeli soil on October 7, which killed more than 1,140 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP count based on official Israeli data.
According to the Hamas Health Ministry, Israel vowed to “destroy” Hamas, which has been in power in Gaza since 2007, and launched a massive military operation that killed 25,490 Palestinians, the vast majority women, children and teenagers.
“The entire population of Gaza is experiencing destruction on a scale and pace unparalleled in recent history. “Nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people,” said Antonio Guterres.
He also called for the opening of new border crossings for humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip, which is still largely insufficient for more than 2 million residents, and for the resumption of operations at the Israeli port of Ashdod.