UN chief calls Israeli actions in West Bank raising ‘specter of ethnic cleansing’

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Tuesday that Israeli violence, displacement and illegal settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank are undermining prospects for peace and raising the risk of "ethnic cleansing."

"Violence, displacement, and settlement expansion by Israel in the occupied West Bank are bulldozing the path to peace and raising the specter of ethnic cleansing," Guterres said in an address to the 81st UN General Assembly in New York.

"We cannot allow the two-state solution to disappear before our eyes," he added.

Guterres said the devastating situation in the occupied Palestinian territories must not be overlooked amid the broader turmoil engulfing the Middle East.

He described the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas as "abhorrent" but said they were followed by "an onslaught on Palestinians in Gaza, with a scale of killing and destruction unlike anything I've witnessed in my years as secretary-general."

He recalled that the International Court of Justice had issued legally binding provisional measures in the case concerning the application of the Genocide Convention in the Gaza Strip.

The UN chief also referred to an advisory opinion issued by the court, saying the UN must be allowed to carry out its mandates in Gaza and that its staff and humanitarian personnel must be protected.

"All parties must comply with international law and the court's orders," he stressed.

Turning to the wider region, Guterres said conflicts were "cascading" across the Middle East, while so-called ceasefires had amounted to "little more than lesser fires," with civilians continuing to bear the cost.

"I appeal to the leaders in this chamber to maximize this high-level week for de-escalation and dialogue," he said.

Guterres urged the international community to send a clear message that the fighting must end, humanitarian assistance must be allowed to flow, and navigational rights and freedoms must be fully restored in line with international law.