Nations expressed support for a future independent Palestinian state at the United Nations on Tuesday, days after Israel's prime minister took a strong stance against the two-state solution.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Security Council that any refusal to accept a two-state solution "by any party must be firmly rejected."
"What is the alternative?" Guterres asked. "How would a one-state solution look with such a large number of Palestinians inside without any real sense of freedom, rights and dignity. This would be inconceivable."
The large gathering of countries to discuss the decades-old Middle East conflict takes place four times a year in the Security Council, open for all member states to participate. More than 50 nations planned to speak, many sending their foreign ministers.
Resolving the conflict has taken on renewed urgency as 15 weeks of war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip has killed more than 25,000 Palestinians and 1,200 Israelis and foreigners.
Seeking 'only total victory'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he is seeking "only total victory" over Hamas, following their October 7 terror attack inside Israel that triggered the latest war. At a news conference Thursday in Tel Aviv, he pushed back on the idea of a future Palestinian state.
"I clarify that in any arrangement in the foreseeable future, with an accord or without an accord, Israel must have security control over the entire territory west of the Jordan River. That's a necessary condition," he said of land that includes the West Bank and Gaza. "It clashes with the principle of sovereignty, but what can you do?"
Speaking to the council on Tuesday, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki rejected that language and said it was time to recognize the state of Palestine at the United Nations.
"We were not granted a veto right over Israel's admission to the United Nations 75 years ago," he said. "Israel does not have a veto right over the admission of the state of Palestine 75 years later."
Several Arab and Muslim nations expressed support for an international conference to take up the issue, as did Russia's foreign minister.
"The objective of such a conference would be the proclamation of the Palestinian state; coming up with measures to ensure reliable security for Israel; and the normalization of Israel's relations with all Arab states, and also Muslim states, as a whole," Sergey Lavrov told the council.
The United States supports a two-state solution as the only durable path to peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
"To achieve this future, the Israeli and Palestinian people, as well as their leaders, must make hard choices," said Uzra Zeya, U.S. undersecretary of state for civilian security, democracy and human rights.
"We do not purport to make these decisions for them. But we believe strongly that if they are willing to pursue these goals, they can help to usher in an era where Palestinians and Israelis can live side by side in peace," she said.
Following Netanyahu's remarks, U.S. President Joe Biden said "There are a number of types of two-state solutions," giving as an example, countries that belong to the United Nations but do not have their own militaries.
Calls for a cease-fire
Nearly all U.N. Security Council members appealed for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza in order to get aid in and for the release of the remaining Israeli hostages.
Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdan criticized those calls, saying it would only benefit Hamas.
"What do you think will happen if there is a cease-fire?" Erdan asked. "I will tell you what will happen — Hamas will remain in power. They will regroup and rearm, and soon, Israelis will face another attempted Holocaust."
The United States, Britain and the European Union have all designated Hamas a terror group.
