Two states, Jerusalem capital of both only Mideast solution - Guterres

NEW YORK, Feb 15 (KUNA) -- UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said Friday peaceful and just resolution of the Palestinian cause would only be achieved via realization of two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security, with Jerusalem capital of two nations.
Guterres, addressing the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, said such solution should also be based on relevant UN resolutions.
"Unfortunately, over this past year, the situation has not moved in that direction. Protests in Gaza resulted in hundreds dead and thousands wounded by Israeli security forces," he said.
Guterres said UN and Egyptian mediations prevented a major escalation in Gaza.
He urged Israel to exercise maximum restraint and to not use lethal force "except as foreseen in international law, as a last resort against imminent threat of death or serious injury." The UN, said Guterres, stood firmly in support of the Palestinian reconciliation and the return of the legitimate Palestinian Government to Gaza. "We welcome the efforts made by Egypt in this regard," he added.
The UN chief reaffirmed that Gaza Strip "is an integral part of a future Palestinian State and Palestinian unity is needed for a politically stable, economically viable, sovereign and independent State of Palestine." He called for addressing the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where around two million Palestinians remain mired in increasing poverty and unemployment, with limited access to adequate health, education, water and electricity.
"I urge Israel to lift restrictions on the movement of people and goods, which also hamper the efforts of the United Nations and other humanitarian agencies, without naturally jeopardizing legitimate security concerns. The international community must also significantly increase efforts to revitalize Gaza's economy," said Guterres.
He thanked UNRWA for its critical work in Gaza, occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem despite the unprecedented financial crisis in 2018. He also thanked donors for increasing their commitments to UNRWA following the US stop of funding.
Guterres spoke about the unrest in the West Bank, where construction and planning of illegal Jewish settlements have expanded deeper.
"Settlements are illegal under international law. They deepen the sense of mistrust and undermine the two-State solution," he said.
He regretted Israel's decision not to renew mandate of the Temporary International Presence in Al-Khalil, or Hebron. He hoped an agreement could be found by parties to preserve this long-standing and valuable arrangement.
Palestinians have endured more than a half-century of occupation and denial of their legitimate right to self-determination, he noted, and urged leaders to reverse this negative trajectory and pave the way towards peace, stability and reconciliation. (end) asf.bs