UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - The UN secretary-general called on world leaders Tuesday to show "political courage" for a two-state solution in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, while warning such an outcome remains increasingly slim.
Referring to the issue as a "central question for peace," Antonio Guterres told the United Nations Security Council that a two-state solution -- the creation of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel -- was nearing "a point of no return."
After more than 18 months of war, Guterres said, "the humanitarian situation throughout the Gaza Strip has gone from bad... to worse... to beyond imagination."
But the "world cannot afford to watch the two-state solution disappear," he said, and called on member nations to take "irreversible action" to implement such a peace.
"In this period of turmoil and transition for the region, member states must spell out how they will realise the commitment and promise of a two-state solution," Guterres said.
He also emphasised the importance of an international conference on the topic, organised by the UN General Assembly in June, to be co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said his country's goal was "to advance the recognition of Palestine and the normalisation of relations with Israel, at the same time."
Nearly 150 countries recognise the Palestinian state, but the two-state solution remains rejected by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The war in Gaza erupted after Palestinian fighters Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.
Israel's retaliatory military offensive has killed at least 52,365 people in Gaza, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. - Bernama
