Gaza: Unified Arab Position Will ‘Help Guide The Way Forward’

Addressing journalists at UN Headquarters in New York, he announced that he will be travelling to the Egyptian capital, Cairo, next week, for the Extraordinary Summit of the League of Arab States.

The emergency Summit is set to discuss the reconstruction of Gaza, which had been at the centre of an intense Israeli military operation following the brutal 7 October terror attacks by Hamas and other terrorist groups against communities in southern Israel.

More than 1,200 Israeli civilians were killed and more than 250 taken hostage.

Peace and stability

The UN chief said that Tuesday’s Summit provides an opportunity for leaders from across the Arab world “to come together and discuss the elements required to deliver peace and stability” in the enclave.

“Their unified position will help guide the way forward,” he stressed.

Until the ceasefire took effect on 19 January, more than 47,000 Palestinians were killed in the fighting and tens of thousands more injured tens of thousands, according to Gazan health authorities. Over 90 per cent of the enclave’s housing units have been damaged or destroyed.

Ceasefire must be extended

“The ceasefire and hostage release deal must hold. The coming days are critical. The parties must spare no effort to avoid a breakdown of this deal,” Mr. Guterres told reporters.

“I urge them to uphold their commitments and implement all of it in full.”

He reiterated his call for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, with humane treatment guaranteed for those in captivity, while also underscoring the need to maintain humanitarian aid to the enclave.

“Each moment the ceasefire holds means more people reached and more lives saved,” the UN chief added.

Political framework for Gaza’s future

While ending the immediate crisis is essential, Mr. Guterres also underscored that a long-term political framework was needed for Gaza’s recovery, reconstruction and lasting stability.

“This framework must be based on clear principles. This means staying true to the bedrock of international law,” he said.

He insisted the need to prevent any form of ethnic cleansing, ensuring no long-term Israeli military presence in Gaza, addressing Israel’s legitimate security concerns, and accountability for violations of international law.

“And it means Gaza remaining an integral part of an independent, democratic and sovereign Palestinian State, with no reductions in its territory or forced transfer of its population,” he added.

Any transitional arrangements, he stated, should have a clear and limited timeframe leading to a unified Palestinian administration.

Escalation in West Bank must end

Mr. Guterres also voiced concern over rising violence in the West Bank, where Israeli military operations and settler attacks have led to deaths, displacement, and destruction.

“Unilateral actions, including settlement expansion and threats of annexation, must stop,” he said, calling for an end to attacks on civilians and their property.

Two-State solution the only path

The only path to lasting peace is a two-State solution, said Mr. Guterres, where Israel and Palestine live side by side, in peace and security and in line with international law and UN resolutions, with Jerusalem as the capital of both states.

“The Palestinian people must have the right to govern themselves, to chart their own future, and to live on their land in freedom and security,” he said.

At next week’s Summit in Cairo, Mr. Guterres said he would call for sustainable reconstruction and a “unified, clear and principled” political solution.

“Palestinians deserve lasting stability and a just and principled peace. And the people of Israel deserve to live in peace and security,” he said.

“At this fragile moment, we must avoid a resumption of hostilities that would deepen the suffering and further destabilize a region that is already perched on a knife’s edge.”

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