UN chief: Two-state solution only path to lasting peace

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has reiterated that the two-state solution is the sole credible pathway to achieving lasting peace and security for both Israelis and Palestinians, as well as the broader Middle East region. Speaking on September 22, 2026, at a high-level international conference for the peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine, Guterres emphasized that "there is simply no alternative."

Guterres stated that the objective is clear: two independent, sovereign, and democratic states, Israel and Palestine, coexisting peacefully within secure and recognized borders based on pre-1967 lines, with Jerusalem as the capital for both. He acknowledged the growing support for the two-state solution on paper, including pledges to recognize the State of Palestine and the General Assembly's endorsement of the New York Declaration.

However, the UN chief warned that actions on the ground are systematically undermining the conditions for a viable Palestinian state. He pointed to illegal Israeli settlement expansion, annexation attempts, and rising settler violence in the occupied West Bank as posing an existential threat to the two-state solution. Guterres specifically cited Israel's E1 settlement plan as a potential "deathblow" to Palestinian statehood.

He condemned the "horrific" Hamas terror attacks of October 7, 2023, and the taking of hostages, while also denouncing the collective punishment of the Palestinian people, the systematic destruction of Gaza, and the killing of tens of thousands of civilians. Guterres called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages, and unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza.

The UN Security Council had previously endorsed a ceasefire agreement in October 2025, as well as a 20-point provisional deal put forth by US President Donald Trump. Guterres stressed that support for the two-state solution must extend beyond words to concrete actions, warning that without it, peace in the Middle East would remain elusive and radicalism could spread globally.