United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has called on the international community to take urgent and concrete steps to implement the two-state solution, stressing that statehood for Palestinians is “a right, not a reward”.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Guterres reiterated the UN’s longstanding position that the only just and sustainable resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict lies in the establishment of two states Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace.

“Let’s be clear: Statehood for the Palestinians is a right, not a reward. The only realistic, just, and sustainable solution is two States Israel & Palestine living side-by-side in peace. I urge the international community to take urgent & concrete steps to make it real,” he wrote.

His remarks followed a stern warning at the opening of the high-level international conference on the peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine, held at UN headquarters in New York.

Guterres told participants the conflict had reached “a breaking point” and cautioned that without decisive international intervention, the region is on a path toward a “one-State reality marked by perpetual occupation and inequality”.

“For decades, Middle East diplomacy has been far more process than peace,” the UN chief said. “Words, speeches, declarations may not have much meaning to those on the ground. They have seen it before. They have heard it before.

Meanwhile, destruction and annexation bulldoze ahead.”

He reaffirmed that peace requires two independent, democratic states Israel and Palestine coexisting with secure borders based on pre-1967 lines, and with Jerusalem as the capital of both. Guterres questioned the viability of any alternative, warning of a future where Palestinians are denied rights and live under constant displacement. “That is not peace. That is not justice. And that is not acceptable,” he said.

The conference, mandated by the UN General Assembly and co-organised by France and Saudi Arabia, brings together member states, observers and regional actors for three days of dialogue, with a focus on security, humanitarian response, reconstruction and economic stability.

Guterres urged participants to move beyond “well-meaning rhetoric” and make the gathering a turning point. “We cannot wait for perfect conditions. We must create them. We cannot defer peace efforts until suffering becomes unbearable. We must act before it is too late,” he said.

Addressing the ongoing war in Gaza, he condemned Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attacks on Israel, but also criticised the scale of Israel’s military response, which he said has devastated the territory. “Gaza has descended into a cascade of catastrophes.

Tens of thousands dead. Virtually the entire population displaced many times over. The shadow of starvation looming over everyone,” he said.

The UN Secretary-General called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the release of hostages, and unrestricted humanitarian access. “These are not preconditions for peace. They are the foundation of it.”

UN General Assembly President Philémon Yang echoed the call for urgent action, declaring that “we cannot go on like this”. He said the conflict cannot be resolved through permanent war or endless occupation, and highlighted growing global momentum behind Palestinian statehood, citing France’s announcement that it will formally recognise Palestine.