At a high-level meeting of the U.N. Security Council on the Middle East, Guterres said: “Israel’s occupation must end.”
The 15-member council has long endorsed a vision of two states living side by side within secure and recognized borders. Palestinians want a state in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip, all territory captured by Israel in 1967.
With war raging in Gaza between Israel and Hamas militants, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week that Israel needs security control over all land west of the Jordan River – which covers the Palestinian territories – adding: “It clashes with the principle of sovereignty but what can you do.”
On Oct. 7 Hamas fighters launched an attack in which Israel says 1,200 people were killed and some 253 people taken hostage. Israel retaliated by bombarding Hamas-ruled Gaza from the air and launching a ground offensive. More than 25,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza health officials.
