United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today reiterated
his call for a political solution to the Middle East conflict that
would end Israel's occupation of Palestinian land and would create
an independent Palestinian state, living side by side with Israel
in peace and security.
“It is my deep belief that it is essential to restart a serious
and credible political process of negotiation aiming at that
objective – the two-state solution – as it is also important to
create conditions on the ground to improve the situation of
Palestinian populations,” Mr. Guterres said at a press conference
in Ramallah after meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Rami
Hamdallah.
“A two-state solution that will end the occupation and, with the
creation of conditions, also the suffering even to the
Palestinian people, is in my opinion the only way to guarantee
that peace is established and, at the same time, that two states
can live together in security and in mutual recognition,” Mr.
Guterres said.
He said that Israel's settlement activity represented a major
obstacle to the implementation of the two-state solution although
there are other obstacles.
The UN chief also expressed a concern about the humanitarian
situation in the Gaza Strip, and pledged to support the effort
towards creating conditions for a unified Palestinian leadership
both in West Bank and Gaza.
To a question about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's
latest comments on settlements in West Bank, Mr. Guterres said
“it is clear that there is a disagreement on that matter.”
“We believe that settlement activity is illegal under
international law […] it is an obstacle to the two-state
solution,” he added.
Visit to Yasser Arafat Museum
Also today, the Secretary-General visited Yasser Arafat Museum.
“When visiting this museum, there are of course many emotions and
many feelings, but the most important of them is the feeling of
the suffering of the Palestinian people,” Mr. Guterres told
reporters.
For many years, in different capacities as Prime Minister of
Portugal and as president of an international political
organization, he has closely followed the peace process, in its
hopes and frustrations, he said.
“I have a dream, a dream to see in the Holy Land two states: A
Palestinian state and an Israeli State, living together in peace
and security, in mutual recognition and allowing for this kind of
suffering not to be possible anymore,” the Secretary-General
stated.
