New York, MINA – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned Israel’s continued illegal settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank on Monday, describing it as “morally, legally, and politically intolerable.” His remarks came during an international conference on Palestine and the two-state solution held in New York.
Guterres opened his speech by thanking France and Saudi Arabia for organizing the event but voiced his “disappointment” with the United States for denying visas to Palestinian officials, effectively excluding them from this week’s UN General Assembly and related meetings.
Addressing the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Guterres stated, “International law has been breached. Decades of diplomacy have come up short.” He reiterated his support for the two-state solution and welcomed the growing number of UN member states recognizing the state of Palestine.
While condemning the October 7, 2023, attacks, he emphasized that “nothing can justify collective punishment of the Palestinian people or any form of ethnic cleansing.” He described the situation in Gaza as “systematic decimation,” referencing mass civilian casualties, starvation, and the deaths of humanitarian workers.
Also Read: Belgium, Malta, Andorra, Monaco, and Luxembourg Recognize State of Palestine at UN
Regarding the West Bank, Guterres warned that the expansion of settlements, threat of annexation, and settler violence pose “an existential threat to a two-state solution.” He urged the international community to stop these actions and called on all nations to recommit to a viable resolution.
“A one-state scenario where Palestinians are denied basic rights, expelled from their land, and subjected to endless occupation is not a solution—it is a path to perpetual conflict,” he said.
Guterres called on the conference to act as a “catalyst” toward ending the unlawful occupation and achieving lasting peace. He concluded with an appeal for “bold and principled” leadership to ensure the two-state solution becomes a reality for Israelis, Palestinians, and all humanity. []
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
Also Read: UN Security Council Majority Demands Ceasefire, Condemns Israeli Aggression in Gaza
Mina Indonesia
Mina Arabic
Mina Sport