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UN envoy says region facing ‘last chance’ for two-state solution
Sigrid Kaag, the UN envoy for the Middle East peace process, says Israeli calls for annexation of the occupied West Bank are an “existential threat” to the possibility of a two-state solution.
“The Middle East today is undergoing rapid transformation — its scope and impact remain uncertain, but it also presents a historic opportunity,” Kaag told the UN Security Council.
“The people of the region can emerge from this period with peace, security, and dignity. However, this may be our last chance to achieve the two-state solution.”
Palestinian UN envoy: Acts that entrench occupation must end
Speaking to the UN Security Council, Palestinian diplomat Riyad Mansour says the path towards ending the conflict must include the reconstruction of Gaza and an end to Israel’s occupation.
Palestinians must be allowed to remain in Gaza while reconstruction takes place, and there must be a cessation of “policies that entrench the occupation”, Mansour said.
Israel withdrew soldiers and settlers from Gaza in 2005. The territory has been ruled by Hamas since 2007 but is still considered to be under Israeli occupation by the United Nations.
Israel and Egypt control total access to the Gaza Strip.
‘Enough bloodshed, enough agony, enough suffering’
Palestine’s envoy to the UN, Riyad Mansour, has condemned Israel’s ongoing attacks on occupied Palestinian territory, saying it is pursuing a deliberate strategy to force Palestinians from their land.
“Israel’s plan is clear in Gaza, in East Jerusalem, and in the rest of the West Bank – get rid of Palestinian demography, to seize Palestinian geography,” Mansour told the UN Security Council.
But he added: “It will never happen. There is no military solution to this conflict, only a political one.”
Describing the human toll of Israel’s militarism – with tens of thousands of Palestinians killed over the past 16 months, Mansour pleaded: “Enough bloodshed, enough agony, enough suffering.”
US wants Arab plan for Gaza without Hamas
A US official has called for the destruction of Hamas at a UN Security Council meeting.
“Hamas must be eliminated,” acting US Ambassador to the UN Dorothy Shea said. “Any plan for reconstruction in Gaza must ensure Hamas is fully removed from power and held accountable for its October 7 terrorist massacre.”
“We look forward to a plan from our Arab partners on the future of Gaza that reflects this vision,” she added.
UN agency chief says ‘wouldn’t be involved in any’ Gaza displacement
Amy Pope, head of the UN International Organization for Migration, says it will not be a party to “any kind” of forced displacement of Palestinians out of Gaza, warning such an effort would be a “red line” for Middle East governments.
US President Donald Trump previously stated that Palestinians should be expelled from the Strip to make way for high-end real estate developments.
“We made a commitment to the communities that we serve that we wouldn’t be involved in any kind of forced movement of population or evacuation of people,” said Pope.
“As we’re seeing right now, [the displacement of Palestinians] has been a red line for both the government of Jordan and Egypt.”
