• Guterres urges action to save two-state solution
• French, Saudi FMs seek concrete road map
• Pakistan, Egypt, Turkiye call for immediate ceasefire, unimpeded humanitarian aid
• Death toll nears 60,000-mark
WASHINGTON: As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens, UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday warned “nothing can justify the obliteration of Gaza that has unfolded before the eyes of the world”, calling for bold international action to end the war and rescue the long-stalled two-state solution.
Speaking at the United Nations International Conference on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, held at UN Headquarters in New York, Mr Guterres said the decades-old conflict had “reached a breaking point” and urged world leaders to halt what he described as the “systemic dismantling of peace efforts.”
“The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has endured for generations — defying hopes, defying diplomacy, defying countless resolutions, defying international law,” he said. “But we also know its persistence is not inevitable. It can be resolved. That demands political will and courageous leadership. And it demands truth. The truth is: we are at a breaking point. The two-state solution is farther than ever before.”
Mr Guterres deplored the “wholesale destruction” of Gaza and described Israel’s “creeping annexation” of the occupied West Bank as illegal. He condemned the killing of civilians, the starvation of children, settler violence, and the mass displacement of Palestinians.
“Unilateral actions that would forever undermine the two-state solution are unacceptable and they must stop,” the UN chief said, reaffirming the long-standing UN position that peace can only be achieved through the creation of two states — Israel and Palestine — living side by side within secure and recognized borders based on pre-1967 lines, with Jerusalem as the capital of both.
Co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, the high-level conference was convened following the adoption of a UN General Assembly resolution earlier this year.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, who formally opened the event, echoed President Emmanuel Macron’s recent statement that France intends to officially recognize the State of Palestine in September. “We must move from the end of the war in Gaza to the end of the entire conflict, which threatens regional stability,” Mr Barrot said.
“Only the two-state solution will meet the legitimate aspirations of both peoples. There is no alternative.”
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa, representing the Palestinian Authority that exercises limited self-rule in parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, called on countries around the world to “recognize the state of Palestine without delay”.
“The path to peace starts with recognizing the state of Palestine and preserving it from destruction,” he said.
Concrete road map
Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud urged participants to support a concrete road map towards Palestinian statehood that also ensures Israeli security.
“We must ensure that it does not become another exercise in well-meaning rhetoric,” Mr Guterres remarked. “It can and must serve as a decisive turning point — one that catalyzes irreversible progress towards ending the occupation and realizing our shared aspiration for a viable two-state solution.”
A concept note circulated ahead of the meeting by the French and Saudi governments stated that the two-state solution still enjoys “near-universal support” and remains “the only way to satisfy the legitimate aspirations of both Israelis and Palestinians… and create the conditions for regional peace and stability”.
Immediate ceasefire
On the sidelines of the international conference on the two-state solution, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar met Egypt’s Foreign Minister Dr Badr Abdelatty as well as Adviser for Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh Touhid Hossain besides holding a telephonic discussion with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
In a joint statement issued in New York, Pakistan and Egypt reiterated their unwavering support for the Palestinian people and their just cause, underscored the urgent need for unimpaired humanitarian access, an immediate cessation of Israeli hostilities.
Death toll near 60,000
Meanwhile, the humanitarian toll continues to rise. Reports from Gaza said Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinians waiting for food aid, killing at least 26 and injuring many more. More than 60 have reportedly died in attacks since dawn. At least 14 more, including a baby, died of malnutrition.
According to the Gaza health ministry, Israel’s ongoing military campaign has killed at least 59,921 Palestinians and wounded more than 144,000, besides since October 2023.
