New York: Europe and the Arabs
The UN Security Council held an open discussion session, at the ministerial level, on “the situation in the Middle East - including the Palestinian issue.” During which the Secretary-General of the United Nations said that "the clear and repeated rejection of the two-state solution at the highest levels of the Israeli government is unacceptable." According to what was stated in the United Nations daily news bulletin, a copy of which we received early Wednesday morning.
Secretary-General António Guterres said that the rejection of the two-state solution, which came “despite the strongest calls even from friends of Israel,” would prolong - indefinitely - the conflict that has become a major threat to international peace and security, and stressed the need for the occupation to end. Israeli. He stressed that the two-state solution is the only way to meet the legitimate aspirations of the Israeli and Palestinian peoples alike.
The Secretary-General said that events over the past three months served as a tragic reminder that the two-state solution is “the only way to avoid endless cycles of fear, hatred and violence.”
Guterres asked about the alternative to the two-state solution, and said: “What would a one-state solution look like with this large number of Palestinians inside that state without any real sense of freedom, rights and dignity? That would be unimaginable.”
He said that the two-state solution has been “distorted, undermined and left for dead many times” over recent decades, but it remains the only way to achieve lasting and just peace in Israel, Palestine and the region. He added: “In this difficult time that Israelis and Palestinians are going through, both parties must be motivated, And the international community must work with courage and determination to achieve a just and lasting peace.”
In turn, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki said that the time has come to fully respect international law and United Nations resolutions and punish non-compliance with them. He added that it is also time for accountability, stressing that "justice is crucial, and is the foundation of any sustainable peace."
The Palestinian minister said: "The time has come to hold an international peace conference with a clear goal, which is to support international law and implement United Nations resolutions through resolute action on the part of all countries, organizations and the United Nations."
He also indicated that the time has come to recognize the State of Palestine and accept it (full membership) in the United Nations, adding that “the international consensus on establishing two states on that land must be adhered to in word and deed. There can be no more pretexts for delay and obstruction that do not "The end of it."
Al-Maliki warned that time was running out, stressing that there were two options: “either spreading fire, or a ceasefire.”
He stressed that a ceasefire is “indispensable” to achieve what the Security Council called for, including the protection of civilians, safe and unhindered access to humanitarian aid on a large scale throughout the Gaza Strip, the release of prisoners, the rejection of forced displacement and the achievement of peace.
“The alternative to freedom, justice and peace is what is happening now,” he said. “We must make sure this stops now, and we must make sure it never happens again.”
For his part, the Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, said that Israel withdrew from Gaza 18 years ago, and accused Hamas of turning the Strip into a “war machine.” He said that some people's call for a permanent ceasefire would lead to Hamas remaining in power, adding that this exposes Israel to an existential danger because "Hamas seeks to annihilate Israel."
The Israeli ambassador said that the war would end immediately if Hamas handed over those responsible for the October 7 attack on Israel and returned the hostages, adding: "We will defend our future."
Ambassador Erdan indicated that the extension of the conflict was planned, and uploaded a picture that he said was of confiscated weapons. He stressed that without Iran, the Houthis would not have weapons to target ships in the Red Sea.
He added that all countries in the region have already been affected by Iran, which he said "will stop at nothing to extend its dominance," noting also that Albania was subjected to an Iranian cyber attack. He concluded his speech by saying that if the Council continues to provide aid to Gaza without considering the Iranian threat, the future will be very dark.