UN Chief Urges Immediate Global Action to End Gaza Crisis
(MENAFN) On Monday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a stark appeal to world leaders, urging them to take “urgent, concrete, irreversible steps” toward achieving a two-state solution. He cautioned that the escalating crisis in Gaza is deepening Palestinian despair and pushing the region further from peace.
“Let’s be clear: Statehood for the Palestinians is a right, not a reward. And the denial of statehood would be a gift to extremists everywhere,” Guterres stated at the launch of a high-level UN conference focused on resolving the Palestinian issue. He also warned, “Time is running out. With every passing day, trust is slipping. Institutions are weakened. And hopes are dashed.”
Describing the situation in Gaza, Guterres condemned the deteriorating conditions, declaring the territory “has descended into a cascade of catastrophes.”
“I welcome recent steps to reduce restrictions to lifesaving humanitarian aid – but this is far from the solution to end this nightmare. We need: An immediate, permanent ceasefire. The immediate, unconditional release of all hostages. Full and unfettered humanitarian access. These are not preconditions for peace. They are the foundation of it,” he said.
Guterres also underscored the illegality of Israel’s ongoing control over Palestinian lands, including East Jerusalem, asserting: “It must end. It is the law.”
“There is no security in occupation,” he added.
Criticizing the longstanding failure of diplomacy in the region, the UN chief said, “For decades, Middle East diplomacy has been far more process than peace. Words, speeches, declarations may not have much meaning to those on the ground. They have seen it before. They have heard it before. Meanwhile, destruction and annexation bulldoze ahead.”
He warned against the dangers of abandoning the two-state vision, painting a grim picture of what a single-state outcome would mean: “A one-state reality where Palestinians are denied equal rights, and forced to live under perpetual occupation and inequality? A one-state reality where Palestinians are expelled from their land? That is not peace. That is not justice. That is not in accordance with international law.”
Reaffirming the central importance of a two-state framework, Guterres called on Israel to “recommit, clearly and unequivocally, to the two-state solution, and to cease all actions that undermine it.”
“This conflict cannot be managed. It must be resolved. We cannot wait for perfect conditions. We must create them. We cannot defer peace efforts until suffering becomes unbearable. We must act before it is too late,” he concluded.
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