United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday responded to US President Donald Trump’s proposal for Gazans to relocate to other countries while the United States assumes control of the Gaza Strip.
"In the search for solutions, we must not make the problem worse. It is vital to stay true to the bedrock of international law. It is essential to avoid any form of ethnic cleansing," Guterres said during a previously scheduled meeting of a UN committee, as quoted by Reuters.
"We must reaffirm the two-state solution," he added.
"Any durable peace will require tangible, irreversible and permanent progress toward the two-state solution, an end to the occupation and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, with Gaza as an integral part," Guterres emphasized.
"A viable, sovereign Palestinian state living side-by-side in peace and security with Israel is the only sustainable solution for Middle East stability," he said.
While Guterres did not explicitly reference Trump or his Gaza proposal in his remarks to the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, his spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, told reporters earlier that it would be a "fair assumption" to interpret Guterres’ comments as a response.
Trump's plan has been widely praised in Israel and condemned by many Arab countries, including Egypt and Jordan, two countries that Trump has insisted should be accepting Gazans.
Earlier on Wednesday, the European Union reaffirmed its stance that the Gaza Strip is a fundamental and inseparable component of any future Palestinian state.
According to an EU spokesperson, Gaza is crucial for the viability and success of a two-state solution. This position underscores the EU's long-standing commitment to a peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, based on internationally recognized borders.