UN Secretary-General António Guterres reiterated his call for irreversible progress toward a two-state solution in a message marking the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.

This year’s International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People comes after two years of terrible suffering in Gaza and the start of a much-needed ceasefire, Guterres said.

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Noting that survivors are mourning the deaths of tens of thousands of friends and family members, that hunger, disease, and trauma are widespread, that injustice continues in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and that hundreds of aid workers have been killed, the UN chief said: “In many ways, this tragedy has tested the norms and laws that have guided the international community for generations.”

“The killing of so many civilians, the repeated displacement of an entire population, and the obstruction of humanitarian aid must never be acceptable under any circumstances,” he stressed.

As the recent ceasefire offers “a ray of hope,” “it is now critical that all parties fully respect it and work in good faith to find solutions that restore and uphold international law,” the UN chief stressed, adding that large-scale humanitarian aid must be allowed into Gaza to save lives, and that the international community must continue to strongly support UNRWA, the UN aid agency for the Palestinians.

“I reiterate my call for an end to the illegal occupation of Palestinian territory… and for irreversible progress toward a two-state solution, in accordance with international law and relevant United Nations resolutions, in which Israel and Palestine live together in peace and security within their secure and recognized borders, based on the pre-1967 lines, with Jerusalem as the capital of both states,” Guterres said.

“Let us express our solidarity with their rights to dignity, justice, and self-determination, and let us work together to build a peaceful future for all,” the UN Secretary-General urged.

In 1977, the United Nations General Assembly declared November 29th the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. On that day in 1947, the General Assembly adopted the resolution on the partition of Palestine.

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