UN Secretary General warns Middle East conflict will last indefinitely

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned Israel against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s rejection of the two-state solution, saying it would prolong a conflict that threatens global peace and emboldens extremists everywhere.

At a ministerial meeting of the UN Security Council, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly stated: "The right of the Palestinian people to build their own fully independent state must be recognized by all." He said that the two-state solution is the only way out of the endless cycle of fear, hatred and violence, adding that it is the only way to address the legitimate aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians.

The alternative to a one-state solution “with a large number of Palestinians inside without any real sense of freedom, rights and dignity… would be unthinkable,” Mr. Guterres said.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at a meeting of the UN Security Council. Photo: UN.org

Mr. Guterres also warned that the risk of conflict escalation in the Middle East region “is becoming a reality” with Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Pakistan all firing. At the same time, he called on all parties to step back from the brink of war and consider spending wisely, avoiding pouring money into a wider war.

Mr Netanyahu's refusal to recognise a Palestinian state in any post-war scenario has created a rift with Israel's closest ally, the US. Washington argues that the war must lead to negotiations on a two-state solution, where Israel and Palestinians can live side by side in peace.

Israeli soldiers in Gaza. Photo: Times of Israel

Secretary-General Guterres also repeated his long-standing call for a humanitarian ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which has received overwhelming global support. But Israel's UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan again rejected a ceasefire, saying Hamas had carried out a brutal attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, and that a halt in fighting would allow militants to "regroup and rearm."

KHANH MINH

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