UNITED NATIONS, September 22. /TASS/. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said statehood is a legitimate right of the Palestinian people, not a reward, and warned that denying it would be "a gift to extremists everywhere."
"Let’s be clear: statehood for the Palestinians is a right, not a reward," Guterres said at a high-level international conference on the peaceful settlement of the Palestinian issue. "And denying statehood would be a gift to extremists everywhere. Without two states, there will be no peace in the Middle East, and radicalism will spread around the world," he added.
The UN chief called the current situation "intolerable" and "deteriorating by the hour," stressing that the only solution is a two-state framework. He reiterated his call for the creation of an independent, sovereign, and democratic State of Palestine within the 1967 borders, with Jerusalem as the capital of both states.
Guterres also renewed his call for an "immediate and permanent ceasefire," the unconditional release of all hostages, and full humanitarian access. He emphasized that "nothing can justify collective punishment of the Palestinian people or any form of ethnic cleansing."
Earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron announced Paris’ recognition of Palestinian statehood. Belgium, Andorra, Luxembourg, Malta, and San Marino are also expected to announce their recognition at the conference later. Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Portugal did so yesterday. According to their statements, commitment to the two-state principle for two peoples is essential to peace and security for both Palestinians and Israelis. At present, 152 of the 193 UN member nations recognize Palestine as an independent state.