UN Secretary-General António Guterres has strongly urged the international community to push relentlessly for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, while explicitly warning against any actions that could be interpreted as "ethnic cleansing."

Addressing the opening session of the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, Guterres's comments came in the wake of inflammatory statements by US President Donald Trump, who suggested a potential US takeover of the Gaza Strip and called on Palestinians to leave their homeland.

Guterres reminded the world that the struggle for Palestinian rights is fundamentally about ensuring that Palestinians may live with dignity and freedom in their own homeland. “At its essence, the exercise of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people is about the right of Palestinians to simply live as human beings in their own land,” he declared, condemning the systematic dehumanization and demonization of Palestinians that has pushed their rights further out of reach.

The UN chief did not shy away from denouncing the brutal reality faced by Palestinians. He recalled the “catalogue of destruction and unspeakable horrors” inflicted upon Gaza, where nearly 50,000 lives—mostly women and children—have been lost amid relentless bombardments that have reduced civilian infrastructure to rubble. Guterres highlighted the devastating displacement, hunger, and disease that have become the daily norm for the people of Gaza, adding that an entire generation of children has been robbed of education and a safe future.

Guterres’ call for peace came on the heels of incendiary remarks made by U.S. President Donald Trump, who suggested that the United States could “take over” the Gaza Strip and urged Palestinians to leave. In response, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric stressed that any forced displacement is tantamount to ethnic cleansing—a charge that the UN leadership is prepared to level against policies that threaten the existence of the Palestinian people.

Welcoming the recently announced ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas, the Secretary-General stressed that this fragile agreement must be rapidly transformed into a permanent ceasefire. “We must keep pushing for a permanent ceasefire and the immediate release of all hostages without delay. We cannot allow more death and destruction,” Guterres warned, emphasizing that without swift humanitarian access—ensuring that aid reaches those in desperate need—the people of Gaza will continue to suffer.

Guterres also reaffirmed the necessity of supporting UNRWA, the agency that provides critical healthcare, education, and social services to over five million Palestine refugees. He decried recent legislative attempts by Israel to curtail UNRWA’s operations in the West Bank and East Jerusalem as part of a systematic campaign to dismantle an essential lifeline for Palestinians. “Any attempt to weaken UNRWA not only undermines the ceasefire but sabotages Gaza’s recovery and the political transition our people desperately need,” he stated.

Turning his attention to the broader issue of occupation, the Secretary-General called for an end to Israeli settlements and the violence perpetrated by settler groups in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. “The violence must stop,” he insisted. “The occupation of the Palestinian Territory must come to an end, as affirmed by the International Court of Justice. The unity, contiguity, and integrity of the Occupied Palestinian Territory must be preserved, and the path to recovery and reconstruction in Gaza must be supported.”

In his final remarks, Guterres underscored that any durable peace in the Middle East will be built on the foundation of a two-State solution. “A viable, sovereign Palestinian State living side-by-side in peace and security with Israel is the only sustainable solution for Middle East stability,” he said. The UN Secretary-General’s message was clear: true peace requires that Palestinians be allowed to reclaim their rights, live free from oppression, and build a future that respects their heritage and humanity.

Ambassador Riyad Mansour, representing Palestine, echoed these sentiments by stressing that the ceasefire must extend to the entirety of Gaza and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and that all provisions of the agreement—especially those related to reconstruction and the right of return—must be fully implemented. As the international community debates its next steps, Guterres’ stirring call stands as an uncompromising demand for justice and dignity for the Palestinian people. (ILKHA)