Guterres: Any ceasefire deal should lead to long-term Palestinian solution

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said having a deal just for a Gaza ceasefire was “not enough” and stressed that any truce needs to lead to a long-term solution with rights for Palestinians alongside Israelis, as the UN also warned of violence in the occupied West Bank.

Talking to reporters on July 14, Guterres described the situation in Gaza as “horrific” and unparalleled.

“We all condemned the horrible, terrible attacks of Hamas. But what we are witnessing in Gaza is a level of death and destruction that has no parallel in recent times,” said Guterres.

He said it was something that “undermined the most basic conditions of human dignity for the population of Gaza” and of “the enormous suffering that they are having”.

“We absolutely need a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. And I hope that the parties are able to overcome the difficulties that they still find for that ceasefire to take place,” said Guterres.

“But this ceasefire is not enough. It is essential that that ceasefire leads to a solution. And that solution can only be possible if both Palestinians and Israelis can have a state where they can exercise their rights,” he added.

United States President Donald Trump said on July 14 he hoped a Gaza ceasefire deal would be “straightened out over the next week”.

EU foreign ministers on July 15 discussed options for action against Israel over the conflict, but looked unlikely to agree on any, AFP news agency reported.

The European Union is seeking updates from Israel on the implementation of a new deal to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, according to Kaja Kallas, the bloc’s foreign policy chief.

Hassan Rashad, head of Egypt’s General Intelligence Service, held Gaza ceasefire talks with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, and Palestinian and Israeli delegations, Ahram Online reported on July 14.

As part of their ongoing peace efforts, Egypt and Qatar agree on the urgency of securing a ceasefire, ensuring the delivery of humanitarian aid, and facilitating the release of captives and detainees.

Yet, a Palestinian source told AFP that Israel’s insistence on keeping forces in Gaza has stalled a proposed pause in fighting.

Israel has submitted a new series of maps to mediators in Doha, Qatar, on July 14, that include a further pullback of its forces within Gaza during the 60-day truce under discussion, The Times of Israel reported.

It said Hamas was reviewing the updated Israeli proposal before responding.

The head of the UN’s child rights agency urged Israel to review its rules of engagement in Gaza after seven children were killed while waiting for water at a distribution point over the weekend.

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell noted that the incident came days after several women and children were killed waiting for nutritional supplies amid a rising malnutrition crisis.

In a joint statement on July 12, several UN agencies warned that the fuel shortage in Gaza “has reached critical levels”.

“When fuel runs out, it places an unbearable new burden on a population teetering on the edge of starvation,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, the UN also warned that Israeli settlers and security forces have “ramped up their killings and harassment” of Palestinians in the West Bank in recent weeks amid concerns that such actions could accelerate Israel’s annexation of the occupied territory.

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric called on Israel to immediately stop the killings, harassment and home demolitions across the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

“As the occupying power, Israel must take all feasible measures to ensure public order and safety in the West Bank. There must be thorough, independent, and transparent investigations into all killings and all other alleged violations of international law,” said Dujarric.

He was speaking at a press briefing held in Geneva on July 15, where heads of other relevant UN agencies spoke about the increasing violence in the West Bank.

Juliette Touma, director of communications for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), said that a “silent war was surging” in the West Bank, and people were cut off from their employment and social benefits.

Washington called on Tel Aviv to “aggressively investigate” the killing of 20-year-old US citizen Sayfollah Musallet, who was beaten to death while reportedly trying to protect his family farm from settlers.

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee posted on X that Israel should “aggressively investigate the murder of Musallet”.

“There must be accountability for this criminal and terrorist act,” said Huckabee.

Agencies contributed to this story.

Contact the writer at jan@chinadailyapac.com