UN leaders urge end to Israeli Occupation, preserve two-state solution

The United Nations conference on a peaceful resolution to the Palestinian issue, co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France, has brought together global leaders to mark a decisive turning point in the quest for peace and justice.

Read more: Global talks on 'Israel-Palestine' two-state solution

French Foreign Minister emphasized the urgent need to move beyond merely ending the war in Gaza toward fully halting the Israeli Occupation’s aggression.

He condemned the targeting of children and women, especially those seeking humanitarian aid, calling it unacceptable to the international community. France has launched an unstoppable political momentum aimed at achieving a lasting political solution in the Middle East.

The minister stressed that the ongoing war and suffering must end immediately, urging the establishment of a permanent ceasefire in Gaza to restore peace and stability. France also called for “concrete measures” to preserve the possibility of a viable Palestinian state.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres echoed these concerns, warning that the region has reached a breaking point, with the two-state solution now more distant than ever. He underscored the urgency of achieving this solution to secure lasting peace.

Addressing the war in Gaza, Guterres declared that the devastation “cannot be justified under any circumstances,” adding that “the annihilation of Gaza in front of the eyes of the world is unacceptable and must stop immediately.” He condemned the wholesale destruction as intolerable and demanded an immediate halt to such actions.

Guterres also criticized the Israeli Occupation’s push to annex the West Bank, along with the starvation, killing, and forced displacement of Palestinian civilians, stating, “These practices must come to an end.” He reaffirmed that the two-state solution remains the only internationally recognized framework rooted in international law and supported by the UN General Assembly.

Brazil’s Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, co-chair of Working Group Seven at the conference, highlighted the importance of international law in addressing the occupation. Referring to last year’s advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Vieira pointed to clear guidelines obliging states not to recognize the illegal situation created by Israel’s presence in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem.

Vieira urged the international community to differentiate in all dealings with "Israel" between its internationally recognized territory and the occupied Palestinian land. He called on states to refrain from any actions that might aid or contribute to maintaining the occupation and stressed the need to uphold the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination.

Concluding his remarks, Vieira said, “Let us turn law into action, and action into justice and peace.”