“Next Tuesday, I will be in Cairo to join the Extraordinary Summit of the League of Arab States to discuss the reconstruction of Gaza,” Guterres said in a news conference held at UN headquarters in New York.
Guterres described the situation in Gaza as “a nexus of death, displacement, hunger and disease,” warning that the risk of further destruction remains high.
He urged all parties to maintain the ongoing ceasefire and hostage release deal in the Palestinian enclave.
Guterres also stressed to need to “avoid a breakdown of this deal,” he said, urging them “to uphold their commitments and implement all of them in full.”
“Each moment the ceasefire holds means more people reached and more lives saved,” he added.
Noting the need for a two-state solution, he stated: “The Palestinian people must have the right to govern themselves, to chart their own future, and to live on their land in freedom and security.”
He added that lasting peace can only be achieved when “two states — Israel and Palestine — live side by side in peace and security, in line with international law and relevant UN resolutions, with Jerusalem as the capital of both states.”
At this “fragile moment,” Guterres warned against a return to hostilities, saying it would “deepen the suffering and further destabilize a region that is already perched on a knife’s edge.”
“We need sustainable reconstruction and a unified, clear and principled political solution.”
Guterres further voiced “deep concern” over US funding cuts to humanitarian programs, and warned of severe consequences.
“The consequences will be especially devastating for vulnerable people around the world. From Gaza to Sudan, Afghanistan, Syria, Ukraine and beyond, American funding directly supports people living through wars, famines and disasters, providing essential health care, shelter, water, food and education — the list goes on,” he continued.
Emphasizing the broader impact of US aid, he said: “The message is clear. The generosity and compassion of the American people have not only saved lives, built peace and improved the state of the world.”
“They have contributed to the stability and prosperity that Americans depend on,” he added.
