Addressing the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a stark warning about the deteriorating prospects for a negotiated peace between Israel and Palestinian Arabs, stating that the vision of a two-state solution is edging dangerously close to collapse.
Calling it a “central question for peace,” Guterres said the international community must demonstrate “political courage” and take “irreversible action” to advance the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state alongside Israel.
“In this period of turmoil and transition for the region, member states must spell out how they will realize the commitment and promise of a two-state solution,” the UN chief said, as quoted by AFP.
Guterres underscored the urgency of the matter amid the devastating consequences of the ongoing war in Gaza, which erupted on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a large-scale assault on Israeli communities.
“The humanitarian situation throughout the Gaza Strip has gone from bad... to worse... to beyond imagination,” Guterres said, according to AFP.
Looking ahead, Guterres highlighted a forthcoming international conference in June, co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia under the auspices of the UN General Assembly, as a critical opportunity to reinvigorate diplomatic momentum.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot reiterated Paris’s commitment to a dual-track approach “to advance the recognition of Palestine and the normalization of relations with Israel, at the same time.”
The comments follow French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent announcement that France intends to formally recognize a Palestinian state in the near future, with the decision potentially being made public during the upcoming international summit cited by Guterres.
Macron later clarified his stance and wrote on X, “I’m reading all sorts of things here about our intentions for Gaza. Here is France’s position—it is clear: Yes to peace. Yes to Israel’s security. Yes to a Palestinian state without Hamas.”
“This requires the release of all hostages, a lasting ceasefire, the immediate resumption of humanitarian aid, and the pursuit of a political two-state solution,” he added.
“The only path possible is a political one. I support the legitimate right of Palestinians to a state and to peace, just as I support the right of Israelis to live in peace and security, both recognized by their neighbors,” wrote Macron.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later spoke with Macron and, according to the Prime Minister's Office, "expressed fierce opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state, and said that this would constitute a huge prize for terrorism."
The statement added, "The Prime Minister pointed out to the President of France that to this day, no Palestinian body – including those of the Palestinian Authority – has condemned the October 7th massacre; and that in the Palestinian Authority, the children are educated to destroy Israel, and the murderers of Jews are awarded monetary prizes.
"The Prime Minister told the President of France that a Palestinian state that would be established just a few minutes from Israeli cities would become an Iranian stronghold of terrorism; that the vast majority of the Israeli public opposes that categorically – and that this has also been the Prime Minister's consistent and longstanding policy."