The United Nations and the United Kingdom say a two-state solution is key to bringing peace in the Israel-Palestine conflict as international pushback against Israel’s rejection of Palestinian statehood grows.
The UK’s foreign minister said on Wednesday as he set off for a tour of the Middle East that he would highlight Britain’s long-term support for a two-state solution. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday insisted that denying Palestinian statehood would prolong the war in the Gaza Strip.
The statements reflect global concern after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week said he opposes an independent Palestinian state and his country needs full security control over the Palestinian territories.
Speaking at a UN Security Council meeting, Guterres called Israel’s rejection of a two-state solution “unacceptable”.
“This refusal and the denial of the right to statehood to the Palestinian people would indefinitely prolong a conflict that has become a major threat to global peace and security,” Guterres warned.
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron was also set to address the topic as he embarked on a visit to the Middle East.
Cameron will arrive on Wednesday in Israel, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said in a statement. Visits are also scheduled in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Qatar and Turkey in hopes of achieving a “sustainable ceasefire” in Gaza.
In the West Bank, Cameron will meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and highlight Britain’s long-term support for a two-state solution “so that Israelis and Palestinians can live side-by-side in peace”, the Foreign Office said.
