UNITED NATIONS/JERUSALEM/GAZA/RAMALLAH - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday warned that the viability of a two-state solution is steadily eroding, now reaching its most critical level in more than a generation.

In his statement at a UN Security Council high-level meeting on the Palestinian question, Guterres highlighted relentless settlement expansion, de facto annexation, and forced displacement as evidence of the erosion.

"Cycles of deadly violence, including by extremist settlers, have entrenched an unlawful Israeli occupation and pushed us perilously close to a point of no return," he added.

Israel's recent approval of settlement construction in the E1 area is especially alarming. If implemented, it would sever the occupied West Bank, destroying the territorial contiguity of a Palestinian state, he warned. "Israeli settlements are not just a political issue. They are a flagrant violation of international law."

Guterres commended France and Saudi Arabia for the resumption of the high-level international conference on the implementation of the two-state solution on Monday, and welcomed the recognition of Palestinian statehood in the past days by many more countries.

He called on member states to seize the momentum of the international conference.

The so-called "day after" in Gaza must be anchored in international law, reject any form of ethnic cleansing, and have a clear political horizon toward a viable two-state solution, said Guterres, adding that there is a need to urgently reverse the dangerous trends on the ground.

Relentless settler expansion and violence, and the looming threat of annexation, must stop. The calls of the International Court of Justice must be heeded, including for Israel to immediately cease settlement activities and end its unlawful presence in the occupied Palestinian territory. The illegal occupation must end, he said.

A just and lasting peace will never be built through more violence. It demands a collective commitment -- to diplomacy, to international law, to the dignity of all people, said the UN chief. "There are actions that the Security Council must take. There are responsibilities each member of this council must uphold. We cannot let this fragile moment slip away." 

West Bank-Jordan crossing

The Israel Airports Authority said Tuesday that Israel will indefinitely close the Allenby Bridge, known to Palestinians as the Karama Bridge, the only land crossing between the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Jordan.

The crossing, jointly operated by Israel and Jordan, will be closed to passengers and goods starting Wednesday morning, in line with the directive of the "Israeli political echelon," the authority said.

Nazmi Mohanna, head of the Palestinian Crossings and Borders Authority, also confirmed the closure in a statement, saying the authority received Israel's notification, which will take effect "as of Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025, until further notice, in both directions."

The announcement came just one day after Israeli authorities reopened the crossing following a four-day closure triggered by an armed attack that killed two Israelis. The Israeli army said the assailant, driving a humanitarian aid truck from Jordan, was killed at the scene.

Israel has not officially commented on the latest closure, but Israeli Army Radio reported it could be an initial response to the recent recognition of the State of Palestine by several Western countries.

The crossing has reportedly been used by senior Palestinian Authority officials to travel between the West Bank and Jordan.

Meanwhile, Israel has continued intensifying its assault on Gaza City through heavy shelling and ground attacks, causing civilian casualties and damaging residential buildings and commercial facilities.

Global backing

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday urged the international community to adopt and implement the New York Declaration on the two-state solution, saying it is key to securing a ceasefire in Gaza and advancing peace.

In a statement, the ministry welcomed the joint communique issued at an international conference in New York on Monday, co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France.

"We thank all the countries that participated in the conference and expressed their support for the Palestinian people, their commitment to international law and legitimate international resolutions, and those that adopted the New York Declaration or recognized the State of Palestine," the ministry said.

It called on all states to sign and adopt the declaration "as soon as possible," saying it guarantees an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the implementation of its provisions. These include enabling Palestinian institutions to exercise political and legal authority over all territories occupied in 1967, including Gaza.

France, Britain, Portugal, Australia, and Canada are among Western nations that have recently recognized the State of Palestine in support of a two-state solution.

The Palestinian ministry said the declaration was needed to counter Israel's continued military operations in Gaza and the annexation of Palestinian land despite mounting international condemnation. 

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Gaza hospitals

Vital departments in Gaza hospitals are on the verge of shutting down due to halted fuel supplies, health authorities in the enclave said on Tuesday, warning that patients and the wounded face a "risk of certain death."

In a statement, the authorities said technical and engineering measures to ration generator power in hospitals have become ineffective amid the fuel shortage. They issued an urgent appeal to all concerned parties to intervene and replenish fuel reserves.

The warnings come a day after two Gaza City hospitals were forced to cease operations following Israeli strikes, further straining medical services amid ongoing hostilities.

Al-Rantisi Children's Hospital and the Nasser Eye Hospital were rendered non-functional "following repeated shelling," the health authorities said in a statement on Monday. The Nasser facility was Gaza's only public hospital providing ophthalmology services. 

Western recognition

Rallies were held in several cities across the West Bank on Tuesday to celebrate the Western recognition of the State of Palestine and to show solidarity with the people of the Gaza Strip.

Hundreds of Palestinians, along with international activists, participated in a rally at Al-Manara Square in Ramallah. People waved Palestinian flags, accompanied by loud chants and music.

A poster hung high read that this event is "in support of Gaza and the prisoners and in rejection of the war of extermination," and "in appreciation of the international positions supporting our people's right to freedom and independence."