UNITED NATIONS, May 29. /TASS/. A long-term solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can only be possible based on the two-state solution, which has no alternative, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland told reporters.

"The UN does not see a way around that (the two-state solution - TASS) for a lasting peace to take place," he said adding that he would like to confirm this again.

In addition, Wennesland said, "We can’t get started in full speed as if nothing had happened," and therefore the UN Security Council "needs to agree on some major principles" of the coexistence of the two countries.

The two-state solution calls for the creation of an independent Palestine within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, coexisting in peace with Israel.

Tensions flared up in the Middle East after Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip attacked Israeli territory on October 7, 2023, killing residents of border settlements and taking over 240 hostages. In response, Israel launched a military operation in Gaza to eradicate Hamas’ military and political structure and to release all the hostages. In late November 2023, a temporary humanitarian truce was brokered by Egypt and Qatar and lasted a week. According to Israel, 110 hostages were released then. On December 1, the ceasefire was broken and combat operations resumed and are still going on.