United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres reaffirmed the organization's firm stance, expressing his strong and unequivocal opposition to any actions or policies that undermine the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Guterres specifically pointed to ongoing Israeli practices in the occupied Palestinian territories, including settlement expansion, home demolitions, forced displacement of residents, and escalating settler violence in the West Bank, deeming them major obstacles to peace.
The Secretary-General stressed that these unilateral actions not only undermine the possibility of a viable Palestinian state in the future, but also violate international law and relevant Security Council resolutions. He called for an immediate halt to these practices to create an environment conducive to the resumption of negotiations, emphasizing that the future Palestinian state must be sovereign and geographically contiguous, encompassing the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The historical context of the two-state solution
The “two-state solution” is the framework adopted by the international community for decades as the basis for achieving a just and lasting peace. This concept has its roots in UN General Assembly Resolution 181 of 1947, which recommended the partition of Palestine into two states, one Arab and one Jewish. Although this resolution was never fully implemented, the idea of two states living side by side in peace and security has remained the objective of all subsequent peace initiatives, most notably the Oslo Accords of the 1990s, which laid the foundation for mutual recognition between the Palestine Liberation Organization and Israel.
The importance of statements in light of current tensions
Guterres's statements take on added significance given the dangerous escalation in the region, particularly following the war on Gaza and the rising tensions in the West Bank. While many believe the two-state solution is more elusive than ever, the UN's reaffirmation of this option as the only viable path to security and stability for both Palestinians and Israelis, and to preventing the region from descending into an endless cycle of violence, offers renewed impetus. Failure to achieve this solution not only threatens the future of both peoples but also jeopardizes regional and international stability, and increases the risk of the conflict spreading further.
Referring to the situation in Gaza, Guterres stressed the importance of implementing Security Council resolutions calling for an immediate ceasefire, the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces, and unimpeded humanitarian access as essential first steps toward a comprehensive political solution. He concluded his warning by emphasizing that the rule of international law is eroding and that the logic of force is beginning to prevail over the rule of law, posing a threat to the multilateral world order upon which the United Nations was founded.
