- UN chief urges governments to turn support for Palestinian statehood into concrete action
NEW YORK: United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that time is running out to preserve the possibility of a two-state solution, saying there is “simply no alternative” to the establishment of independent Israeli and Palestinian states living side by side in peace and security.
Guterres made the remarks on Tuesday at a closed high-level meeting on the two-state solution, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
‘Only credible path to lasting peace’
Addressing the gathering, Guterres recalled that a year earlier, a number of countries had joined others in recognizing the State of Palestine.
He said those decisions reflected a broader recognition that a two-state solution based on the pre-1967 lines, international law, relevant UN Security Council resolutions and previous agreements remains the only credible path toward lasting peace and security for both Palestinians and Israelis, as well as the wider region.
The meeting marked the first anniversary of a high-level summit on the two-state solution co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia during the previous UN General Assembly session.
Britain, France, Canada and Australia were among the countries that recognized Palestine around that summit. The initiative built on the New York Declaration, a roadmap for Palestinian statehood developed at a French-Saudi conference in July 2025 and subsequently endorsed by the UN General Assembly.
Guterres raises alarm over settlements and displacement
Despite the diplomatic momentum, Guterres warned that the conditions necessary for an independent, democratic, contiguous, viable and sovereign Palestinian state were being eroded.
Referring to findings of the International Court of Justice, he said the international community had witnessed Israeli policies and practices that, according to the court’s findings, raise serious concerns regarding unlawful annexation.
“Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory are a flagrant violation of international law,” Guterres said.
He also pointed to the continued expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, nearly a decade after the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which called for an immediate halt to settlement activity.
According to the UN chief, settler violence has also reached alarming levels, while demolitions, evictions, displacement and land seizures are contributing to an increasingly coercive environment for Palestinian communities.
He warned that developments surrounding holy sites and other measures affecting the status quo were further increasing tensions and displacement risks.
Warning over E1 settlement plan
Guterres specifically highlighted Israel’s E1 settlement plan east of Jerusalem, warning that its advancement could severely undermine the territorial continuity required for a viable Palestinian state.
He said that for Palestinians in Gaza facing widespread destruction and humanitarian hardship, promises of a better future would have little meaning unless accompanied by tangible changes on the ground.
The UN secretary-general also called for the full implementation of the peace plan for Gaza.
‘Support must go beyond words’
Guterres urged governments that support the two-state solution to translate that commitment into concrete policies and actions.
He called for an end to settlement expansion, measures to prevent annexation, stronger support for Palestinian institutions and their financial viability, and renewed efforts toward a credible political process aimed at ending the occupation and realizing Palestinian self-determination.
He welcomed recent steps taken by several countries in support of these objectives.
Guterres further stressed that Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, should remain politically, economically and territorially integrated under a single, legitimate and sovereign Palestinian government.
UN chief reiterates vision of two states
Guterres said the objective remained clear: the establishment of two independent, sovereign and democratic states — Israel and Palestine — living side by side in peace and security within secure and recognized borders, based on the pre-1967 lines, with Jerusalem serving as the capital of both states.
“There’s simply no alternative, and time is running out,” he said.
BY: The Times Union
