UN Secretary General Affirms Rampant Aneksasi In West Bank And Gaza Destruction Must Stop

JAKARTA - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday stressed that Israel's creeping annexation of the West Bank was illegal and massive destruction in the Gaza Strip was intolerable, and both had to be stopped.

"Let's be clear: The annexation of the occupied West Bank is illegal. This must be stopped. Massive destruction in Gaza is intolerable. This must stop," he said.

The Secretary General of the United Nations conveyed this at the "High Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution" which was held at the United Nations Headquarters, New York, United States on July 28-30.

"A unilateral action that will forever damage the solution of the two countries is unacceptable. This action must be stopped," said Secretary General Guterres.

The Secretary General of the United Nations stressed that the conference was an irreplaceable rare opportunity.

"We have to make sure that this is not just good-meaning rhetoric. This can and must be a decisive turning point that catalyzes inevitable progress towards the end of the occupation, and realizes our shared aspirations for a viable two-state solution," he explained, quoted from WAFA.

"The two-state solution remains the only framework rooted in international law, supported by this Assembly, and supported by the international community," the UN Secretary-General said.

It is known that the Israeli Parliament (Knesset) last week approved Israel's recognition of Israel's sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territories of the West Bank.

The latest conflict in Gaza broke out after Palestinian militant groups attacked Israel's southern region on October 7, 2023, leaving 1,200 people dead and 251 others held hostage according to Israeli calculations.

Israel responded to this by blocking, airstrikes and military operations in the Gaza Strip region.

Israel and the Palestinian militant group agreed to a ceasefire as well as exchange of hostages and detainees on January 19. At least 20 of the remaining 50 hostages in Gaza are believed to be still alive. The majority of the initial hostages have been released through diplomatic negotiations, although the Israeli military has also released several hostages.

On March 2, Israel again carried out a total blockade against Gaza on the pretext of pressuring Palestinian militant groups to agree on a ceasefire proposed by the United States and a exchange of hostages. Over the end of the ceasefire agreement, Israel resumed military operations in Gaza on March 18.

As of Sunday, Palestinian deaths in the Gaza Strip since the latest conflict broke out have reached 59,921 people, while 145,233 others have been injured, according to medical sources in Gaza.