United Nations Secretary-General Urges Immediate Action on Two-State Solution Amid Escalating Middle East Crisis


By Muhammad Isah Ramat
United Nations Headquarters, New York 

In a powerful address to the United Nations Security Council today, Secretary-General António Guterres issued a stark warning about the escalating crisis in the Middle East, declaring that the long-standing goal of a two-State solution between Israel and Palestine is nearing the point of no return.

Speaking at a ministerial-level meeting convened by France and focused on the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, the Secretary-General underscored the worsening humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, the growing instability in the West Bank, and the pressing need for coordinated international action.

“The region is undergoing fundamental shifts, marked by violence and volatility but also opportunity and potential,” Guterres said. “But today, the promise of a two-State solution is at risk of dwindling to the point of disappearance.”

Citing the devastating toll since the collapse of the March 18 ceasefire, Guterres reported that nearly 2,000 Palestinians, including women, children, journalists, and humanitarian workers, have been killed in Gaza by Israeli military operations. He condemned the continued firing of rockets by Hamas and the inhumane conditions faced by civilians under blockade.

“For nearly two full months, Israel has blocked food, fuel, medicine, and commercial supplies, depriving more than two million people of lifesaving relief—all while the world watches,” he said.

The Secretary-General emphasized that Gaza must remain an integral part of a future Palestinian state, and he rejected any attempts at demographic or territorial changes.

He also called out the increasing violence and forced displacement in the occupied West Bank, noting that settlement expansions, Israeli military operations in residential areas, and settler attacks are creating irreversible changes on the ground.

“Palestinians are being contained and coerced—contained in areas subject to military operations and coerced out of areas where settlements are expanding,” he noted.

Highlighting the alarming climate of impunity, Guterres condemned recent attacks that resulted in the deaths of UN personnel and humanitarian workers, including an Israeli airstrike on a UN guesthouse on March 19 and the targeting of paramedics in Rafah on March 23.

“There must be accountability across the board,” he said.

Guterres also drew attention to ongoing advisory proceedings at the International Court of Justice regarding Israel’s obligations under international law as an occupying power. He reiterated that the UN and its personnel must be respected and protected, and that the inviolability of UN premises, property, and assets must be upheld.

The Secretary-General urged Member States to take “irreversible action” toward implementing a two-State solution, warning against empty declarations and inaction.

“This is not a time for ritualistically expressing support, ticking a box, and moving on. We are past the stage of ticking boxes—the clock is ticking,” he stated.

He pointed to the upcoming High-Level Conference in June, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, as a critical opportunity to revitalize international support and translate declarations into concrete steps.

In closing, Guterres appealed to the international community’s conscience and leadership:

“Leaders must stand and deliver. Show the political courage and exercise the political will to make good on this central question for peace—for Palestinians, Israelis, the region, and humanity.”

As the humanitarian crisis deepens and political prospects dim, the world now faces a defining moment in the decades-long conflict. The Secretary-General’s message is clear: the time to act is now.

Editor: Muhammad Isah Ramat
Source: United Nations Press Office
Visit: www.un.org

Ramat Unlimited, April 29, 2025.

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