UN chief calls for full Gaza ceasefire, rejecting "ethnic cleansing" against Palestinians

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has spoken against the forced displacement of Palestinians, supporting their right to “just live as human beings in their own land.”

He made the remarks in New York, addressing the opening of the latest session of the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, which met to elect a new bureau and adopt a programme of work for the year, Caliber.Az reports, citing the UN press service.

Guterres called on the international community to continue advocating for a full ceasefire in Gaza, the immediate release of all hostages, and to avoid any form of ethnic cleansing in the enclave.

His remarks came Guterres’s comments followed a statement from U.S. President Donald Trump on February 4 night, where he suggested that the U.S. could “take over” the Gaza Strip and urged Palestinians living there to leave. In response to a journalist’s question at the UN, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said that any forced displacement of people amounts to ethnic cleansing.

“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,” Guterres stated.

He expressed concern that these rights have steadily become more elusive, highlighting a “chilling, systematic dehumanization and demonization of an entire people.”

While condemning the October 7 Hamas attacks and the violence that followed in Gaza, the UN chief referred to the “catalogue of destruction and unspeakable horrors,” including nearly 50,000 people killed, mostly women and children, and widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure. The situation has led to repeated displacement, hunger, and disease, with children out of school for over a year, creating a generation left “homeless and traumatized.”

Guterres welcomed the recent ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas, thanking mediators Egypt, Qatar, and the United States for their efforts to ensure its implementation. However, he emphasized the need for clarity in the next steps: “First, we must keep pushing for a permanent ceasefire and the release of all hostages without delay. We cannot go back to more death and destruction.”

The UN is working tirelessly to provide aid to Palestinians in need, Guterres added, stressing the necessity of rapid, safe, unimpeded, and sustained humanitarian access. He appealed to Member States, donors, and the international community to fully fund humanitarian operations and support UNRWA, the UN agency that assists Palestine refugees.

Guterres cautioned against making the problem worse: “In the search for solutions, we must not make the problem worse. It is vital to stay true to the bedrock of international law. It is essential to avoid any form of ethnic cleansing.”

The Secretary-General reiterated the importance of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: “Any durable peace will require tangible, irreversible and permanent progress toward the two-state solution, an end to the occupation, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian State, with Gaza as an integral part.” He insisted that “a viable, sovereign Palestinian State living side-by-side in peace and security with Israel is the only sustainable solution for Middle East stability.”

Guterres also expressed concern over rising violence in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, noting an increase in violence by Israeli settlers and other violations. He called for an end to the violence, affirming that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory must end, as stated by the International Court of Justice.

The UN Secretary-General emphasized the need for the international community to support the preservation of Palestinian territory and the recovery and reconstruction of Gaza. A unified Palestinian governance, he concluded, is crucial, urging countries to support the Palestinian Authority in this regard.

The Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, established by the UN General Assembly 50 years ago, includes 25 Member States and 24 other observer states.

By Khagan Isayev