Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
New York, SANA-United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres reaffirmed that a two-state solution is the only credible path to achieving a just and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians, calling it “prerequisite” for peace in the Middle East.
Speaking at a high-level United Nations conference on the peaceful resolution of the Palestinian issue and the two-state solution, jointly chaired by Saudi Arabia and France in New York, Guterres said: “We’ve reached a turning point,” noting that this solution feels “farther than ever before”.
He emphasized that the generations-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict has defied hope, diplomacy, and international law, continuing to claim lives, destroy futures, and destabilize the region and the world. He argued that its persistence is not inevitable and can be resolved with political will and courageous leadership.
He called for intensified efforts to realize a two-state solution, describing the conference as “a rare and indispensable opportunity” that must serve as “a decisive turning point” toward ending the occupation and fulfilling the shared aspiration of viable, independent states.
Guterres emphasized that the two-state solution is the only framework rooted in international law, supported by the international community, and provides for the establishment of two independent 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 as the capital of both states, in accordance with international law and UN resolutions.
He also highlighted the dire humanitarian situation, including “starvation of the population, the killing of tens of thousands of civilians, and the fragmentation of the occupied Palestinian territories.” He stressed that the “wholesale destruction” of Gaza is intolerable and must end, and that “unilateral measures undermining the two-state solution are unacceptable and must cease.”
Etemad/Manar
