United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres  emphasised that “statehood for Palestinians is a right, not a reward.” While addressing member states at the UN Headquarters in New York, Guterres reaffirmed United Nations’ commitment to a two-state solution as the path to ending the long-standing Israel-Gaza conflict.

“The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been unresolved for generations. Dialogue has faltered, resolutions have been flouted,” Guterres said. During his address, Guterres underscored the UN’s long-standing position on the two-state framework, stating, “A two-state solution where two independent sovereign democratic states, Israel and Palestine, live side by side in peace and security within their secure and recognised borders based on the pre-1967 1967-lines, with Jerusalem as the capital of both states in line with international law, UN resolution and other relevant agreements.”

He added, “Statehood for a Palestinian is a right, not a reward, and denying statehood would be a gift to extremists everywhere. Without two states, there will be no peace in the Middle East.” In a separate post on X, Guterres called on for ceasefire, the release of hostages and unhindered humanitarian access in the region. He added that nothing can justify the 7 October terror attacks by Hamas or the taking of hostage and also the collective punishment of the Palestinian people or any form of ethnic cleansing.