New York – United Nations Secretary General António Guterres has called for renewed international action to preserve the prospect of an independent Palestinian state and advance a two state settlement between Israel and Palestine.
Guterres made the remarks at a high level meeting on the two state solution in New York, where he warned that developments in the Occupied Palestinian Territory were making the establishment of a viable Palestinian state increasingly difficult.
The meeting was convened by Canada, France, Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom as international efforts continued to address the Israeli Palestinian conflict.
Guterres said many countries had recognised the State of Palestine over the past year and, in doing so, had also recognised what he described as the two state solution as the credible path towards lasting peace and security for Palestinians and Israelis.
He said the proposed settlement should be based on the pre 1967 lines and consistent with international law, relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and previous agreements.
According to the Secretary General, this framework is also important for achieving wider peace and stability in the Middle East.
Guterres expressed concern over developments across the Occupied Palestinian Territory, saying conditions required for an independent, democratic, contiguous, viable and sovereign Palestinian state were being eroded.
He referred to the International Court of Justice’s findings concerning Israeli policies and practices in the occupied territory and said settlement activity remained contrary to international law.
The Secretary General pointed to the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as well as the growth of outposts and increased settler violence.
He also cited demolitions, evictions, displacement, land seizures and changes to the status quo at holy sites as developments contributing to a more coercive environment for Palestinian communities.
Guterres warned that these developments were driving Palestinian families from their homes and land and raising concerns about the possibility of further forced displacement.
He also raised particular concern about the E1 settlement plan. The United Nations has previously warned that development in the E1 area could sever the northern and southern parts of the West Bank and seriously affect the territorial continuity required for a viable Palestinian state.
The Secretary General also addressed the situation in Gaza, saying that promises of a better future would have little meaning for families facing destruction and severe hardship unless they were accompanied by tangible changes on the ground.
He called for the full implementation of the Peace Plan.
Guterres said international support for a two state settlement must translate into policies, decisions and concrete action rather than remain limited to political statements.
He called for measures to stop settlement expansion, prevent annexation, support Palestinian institutions and their financial sustainability, and advance a credible political process towards ending the occupation and achieving Palestinian self determination.
The Secretary General welcomed recent steps taken by several United Nations Member States in support of these objectives.
He said Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, should remain politically, economically and territorially integrated under a single legitimate and sovereign Palestinian government.
The objective, he said, remains the establishment of two independent, sovereign and democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living alongside each other in peace and security within secure and recognised borders.
Guterres said the settlement should be based on the pre 1967 lines, with Jerusalem serving as the capital of both states.
“There is simply no alternative.”
He warned that time was running out for international efforts to preserve the two state solution.
The Secretary General has also reiterated this concern during the current United Nations General Assembly session, saying settlement expansion, violence and displacement in the West Bank were further eroding the path towards a two state settlement.
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