Israel/Palestine: call for renewed political will to achieve a two-state solution – UN Chief | UN

Addressing the High-level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution today (28 Jul), UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for renewed political will to achieve a two-state solution and condemned actions that undermine peace.

He said, “Nothing can justify the horrific 7 October terror attacks by Hamas and the taking of hostages, both of which I have repeatedly condemned. And nothing can justify the obliteration of Gaza that has unfolded before the eyes of the world.”

The Secretary-General will also condemn ongoing actions that undermine peace, including the demolition of Palestinian homes, forced displacement, demographic changes, and Israel’s recent Knesset declaration supporting annexation of the West Bank.

He continued, “These are not isolated events. They are part of a systemic reality that is dismantling the building blocks of peace in the Middle East. And yet, precisely because of the grim realities, we must do even more to realize the two-State solution.”

The Secretary-General reaffirmed that the two-state solution remains the only viable and legal framework for peace, with Israel and Palestine living side-by-side in peace and security, based on pre-1967 borders and with Jerusalem as the capital of both states.

He emphasized that both must be independent, democratic, and fully recognized by the international community.

This, he said, is the only credible path to lasting peace — not only between Israelis and Palestinians, but across the wider Middle East.

He then called for bold, principled leadership to make the difficult decisions needed to achieve this vision.

Mohammad Mustafa, Palestinian Prime minister, said that this conference is also a message “to the Israeli people: that there is a path to peace and regional integration. It will be achieved through our independence, not our destruction. Through the realization of our rights, not their continued denial. That Palestinians are not condemned to perpetual occupation and exile, and Palestinian and Israeli are not dumbed to be at eternal war.”

He also said, “Hamas must stop his rule of Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian authority. And we stand ready to invite regional and international forces to be deployed and full cooperate coordination with the state of Palestine as a part of a stabilization and protection mission.”

Jean-Noël Barrot, French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, and Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia briefed correspondents after the morning session.

The French Minister said, “The President of the Republic, through a letter delivered on July 24 by the Consul General of France to the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, has committed to recognizing the State of Palestine at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly in September. With this decision, France reaffirms the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination in the face of facts accomplished on the ground, the humanitarian catastrophe that is plunging an entire people into despair, and existential threat.”

He also said, “Our expectations from the Israeli government: First, the lifting of the financial blockade. The payment of the €2 billion owed by the Israeli government to the Palestinian Authority. The abandonment of colonization projects, particularly the E1 project, which—with 3,400 housing units being built in the West Bank—threatens the territorial continuity of the future State of Palestine. The cessation of the activities of the Humanitarian Foundation for Gaza and the militarized system of humanitarian aid distribution in Gaza.”

The Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs said, “For the Kind of Saudi Arabia, normalization with Israel can only come through the establishment of a Palestinian state. That position remains the same, and it is based on a strong conviction that only through the establishment of a Palestinian state, and only through addressing the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination can we have sustainable pace and reintegration in the region.”

The High-level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution held its first meeting in New York on 17 June 2025.

This meeting was subsequently suspended and resumed today at UNHQ, in New York.

It provides a platform to consolidate key insights, highlight consensus across political, legal, economic, and humanitarian tracks, and articulate concrete next steps.