United Nations Secretary-General Calls for Recognition of Palestinian Statehood
The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, emphasized the necessity for the international community to acknowledge the Palestinians' right to statehood. Speaking at the summit of non-aligned countries in Uganda on Saturday, he referred to the conflict in the Gaza Strip, asserting that denying this right is unacceptable.
Guterres added that refusal to recognize this right prolongs a conflict indefinitely, which poses a severe threat to global peace and security and exacerbates the world's divisions, fueling extremism.
The United States, Israel's primary ally and supporter in the conflict against Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist movement, has historically endorsed and continues to support the two-state solution envisioning a Palestinian state alongside Israel. This was reaffirmed by U.S. President Joe Biden in a phone call to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday. Biden included that the establishment of a Palestinian state is integral to the concept of enduring peace in the Middle East and the lasting security of Israel. However, Netanyahu again rejected the two-state solution and further refused to reduce the intensity of Israel's military operations against Hamas. John Kirby, the National Security Council Coordinator at the White House, informed reporters after the phone conversation, "We obviously see the situation differently, but the president still believes in the viability of a Palestinian state, even if it will be very difficult."
Netanyahu's office also reported on the phone call on Saturday, stating that "the Prime Minister rejected Palestinian autonomy in the Gaza Strip for security reasons, asserting that Israel must maintain control over the territory."
On Thursday, Netanyahu spoke of the need for Israel to maintain full military control over the West Bank for its security, thus ruling out Palestinian sovereignty.
Hamas also rejected the American president's remarks on Saturday. One of their officials, Izzat ar-Risik, criticized Biden's statements by calling them "an illusion, and the Palestinians will not be fooled." He added, "Biden is fully complicit in the genocidal war, and our people expect nothing good from him."
The United States, Israel's primary ally and supporter in the conflict against Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist movement, has historically endorsed and continues to support the two-state solution envisioning a Palestinian state alongside Israel. This was reaffirmed by U.S. President Joe Biden in a phone call to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday. Biden included that the establishment of a Palestinian state is integral to the concept of enduring peace in the Middle East and the lasting security of Israel. However, Netanyahu again rejected the two-state solution and further refused to reduce the intensity of Israel's military operations against Hamas. John Kirby, the National Security Council Coordinator at the White House, informed reporters after the phone conversation, "We obviously see the situation differently, but the president still believes in the viability of a Palestinian state, even if it will be very difficult."
Netanyahu's office also reported on the phone call on Saturday, stating that "the Prime Minister rejected Palestinian autonomy in the Gaza Strip for security reasons, asserting that Israel must maintain control over the territory."
On Thursday, Netanyahu spoke of the need for Israel to maintain full military control over the West Bank for its security, thus ruling out Palestinian sovereignty.
Hamas also rejected the American president's remarks on Saturday. One of their officials, Izzat ar-Risik, criticized Biden's statements by calling them "an illusion, and the Palestinians will not be fooled." He added, "Biden is fully complicit in the genocidal war, and our people expect nothing good from him."
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