A “UN protectorate” in Gaza would not be a solution to the conflict there, the organization’s secretary-general said Monday, calling instead for a “transitional period” involving Arab states and the United States and leading to a solution two states.
Antonio Guterres said it was “important to be able to turn this tragedy into an opportunity” – which, for him, meant moving “in a decisive and irreversible way towards a two-state solution”.
That means, after the end of the current war between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza, “a strengthened Palestinian Authority, taking responsibility in Gaza,” he said.
However, the Palestinian Authority cannot enter Gaza with the support of Israeli tanks, he added – which means “the international community must consider a transition period,” he explained.
“I don’t think a UN protectorate in Gaza is a solution,” Guterres said, however. Instead, he called for a “multi-stakeholder approach” that would see the US act as the “main guarantor” of Israel’s security, while Arab states are “essential” in supporting the Palestinians.
“Everyone must come together to create the conditions for the transition, allowing a strengthened Palestinian Authority to take responsibility in Gaza,” and from there to a two-state solution, he stressed.
Guterres again denounced the killing of civilians – especially children – in Gaza as Israel conducts an air and ground campaign in retaliation for the October 7 attacks by Hamas.
For seven years it has published a “list of shame” of the parties to armed conflict where serious violations against children are committed. Israel’s absence from the list has previously been criticized by human rights groups. Without saying whether that might change this year, Guterres put the number of children killed in Gaza into stark context.
In the “shame” reports, the highest number of children killed in one year by a single agent was the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2017-2018, followed by the Syrian government and its allies before 2020. Both times the toll was in the hundreds. dead children
“Without getting into the debate about the accuracy of the numbers published by the de facto authorities in Gaza, what is clear is that within a few weeks thousands of children have been killed,” Guterres told reporters.
“We are witnessing a killing of civilians that is unparalleled and unprecedented in any conflict since I have been Secretary-General,” he concluded.
Source: KYPE