Guterres warns: Refusal of Palestinian statehood is unacceptable

The United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said that “the right of the Palestinian people to build their own state must be recognised by all”, in a speech in Kampala on Saturday.

Refusing Palestinian statehood “would indefinitely prolong a conflict that has become a major threat to global peace and security, exacerbate polarisation, and embolden extremists everywhere,” Guterres said.

The UN Secretary General made the comments as Netanyahu and other senior Israeli ministers continued to double down on their rejection of Palestinian statehood.

“The refusal to accept the two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians, and the denial of the right to statehood for the Palestinian people, are unacceptable,” Guterres said in his speech during the closing ceremony of the Non-Aligned Movement summit.

During the summit, leaders of the 120-member grouping of countries called for an immediate ceasefire.

Guterres spoke during the closing session of the 19th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Kampala on Saturday.