New York, February 5, 2025 – In remarks to a UN conference on the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres renewed support for a two-state solution to end the crisis in the Middle East and rejected any suggestion to relocate the Palestinians.
Guterres’ remarks followed statements made by US President Donald Trump to relocate Palestinians to Egypt and Jordan and for the US to “take over the Gaza Strip,” which has suffered heavy human losses and destruction in the enclave during the Israel-Hamas war that started on October 7, 2023. A ceasefire reached by both sides appeared to have ended the conflict.
Trump said during a press conference held with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on February 4 that
“The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip. I do see a long-term ownership position, and I see it bringing great stability to that part of the Middle East, and maybe the entire Middle East.”
Guterres said, “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.”
UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric was asked at the daily briefing at UN Headquarters in New York whether Trump’s statements regarding the Palestinians amounted to ethnic cleansing. He said, “Any forced displacement of people is tantamount to ethnic cleansing.”
At the meeting of the UN Committee on the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, Guterres said “at its essence, the exercise of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people is about the right of Palestinians to simply live as human beings in their own land.”
“Of course, nothing justifies the horrific Hamas attacks of October 7. And nothing justifies what we have seen unfold in Gaza over these last many months. We all know too well the catalogue of destruction and unspeakable horrors,” he said, referring to the nearly 50,000 people — 70% of them women and children — who have been reported killed and the destruction of most of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure.
“I thank the mediators —Egypt, Qatar, and the United States— for the continued efforts to ensure implementation. Now is the time to be crystal clear about objectives going forward,” he said.
He urged governments, donors and the international community to fully fund humanitarian operations in Gaza and the essential work of the UN refugee agency known as UNRWA.
Ambassador Riad Mansour, the Permanent Representative of the State of Palestine, said the ceasefire must become permanent and cover the entire Occupied Palestinian Territory, UN News reported. It said Mansour called for all the provisions in the ceasefire to be implemented, including the reconstruction of Gaza and freedom for people to return to areas where they were displaced from.
Mansour also highlighted responsibilities and objectives to be achieved by the end of the year, starting with defending UNRWA “because it is the most successful story of multilateralism and the United Nations since its inception.”
The UN agency provides healthcare, education and social services for more than five million Palestine refugees in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and elsewhere in the Middle East. (By J. Tuyet Nguyen)
United Nations journalists – United Nations journalists – United Nations journalists
United Nations News – United Nations News – UN Correspondents Association – UNCA Awards