During the Non-Aligned Movement summit in Uganda, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressed the necessity of recognizing the right of the Palestinians to build their state, in light of a stream of statements by Israeli officials and ministers who expressed their categorical rejection of the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Guterres said in his speech at the summit on Saturday that “refusing to accept a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians, and denying the right of the Palestinian people to establish a state, is unacceptable.”
He added that this would “indefinitely prolong a conflict that has become a major threat to global peace and security, exacerbating polarization and emboldening extremists around the world.”
The Secretary-General of the United Nations stressed that “everyone must recognize the right of the Palestinian people to build their state.”
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and several of his ministers renewed – in a series of statements issued today, Saturday – their categorical rejection of establishing a Palestinian state or granting the Palestinians any form of sovereignty in Gaza.
This comes as the Israeli war on Gaza continues for the 106th day, and has left 24,927 martyrs and 62,388 injured, according to data from the Ministry of Health in the Strip. It has also caused the displacement of nearly 1.9 million people. That is, more than 85% of the population.
Guterres said that he would not back down from his call for an immediate ceasefire and the unconditional release of all hostages, as he described it.
He added, “People in Gaza are dying not only from bombs, but also from lack of food, water and electricity.”
For its part, the Non-Aligned Movement said – in the summit’s final statement – that it strongly condemns “the illegal Israeli military aggression against the Gaza Strip,” calling for a “permanent humanitarian ceasefire.”
It also called for “the independence and sovereignty of the State of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital, to achieve the two-state solution.”
