Gaza Genocide22 September, 20262 min read
António Guterres Condemns Gaza Killing, Warns Israel Settlement Expansion Fuels Ethnic Cleansing Risk
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UN Chief condemns Gaza destruction and West Bank settlements, warns of ethnic cleansing risk Warns of ethnic cleansing risk in West Bank amid settlement expansion and Gaza devastation
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Guterres’ Gaza warning
UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the killing and destruction in Gaza and warned that Israeli settlement expansion and displacement in the occupied West Bank are “raising the spectre of ethnic cleansing”. Guterres told the UN General Assembly that “We must not lose sight of the devastating situation in the occupied Palestinian territory,” and he said Palestinians in Gaza had endured a scale of killing and destruction he had not witnessed during his years as secretary-general. Guterres argued that wars must end and said truces in the region have often been nothing more than periods of reduced fighting while civilians continue to pay the price.
Guterres referred to proceedings before the International Court of Justice, saying the court has issued legally binding provisional measures in the South Africa case accusing Israel of violating the 1948 Genocide Convention in Gaza. Guterres asserted that all parties must comply with international law and with the court’s orders, and he argued that the United Nations and humanitarian organizations must be allowed to carry out their work in Gaza.
Legal framing and division
Guterres warned that the risk of “genocide” in the West Bank and the “unprecedented” devastation in Gaza were unfolding as violence, displacement, and the expansion of Israeli settlements eroded prospects for peace. Guterres said that “We cannot allow the two-state solution to disappear before our eyes,” and he linked that warning to the violence and displacement he described in the occupied Palestinian territory. teleSUR said Guterres recalled an advisory opinion in “the case of Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip” and emphasized that the United Nations must be able to fulfill its mandate in the area.
Guterres also said, “All parties must respect international law and the orders of the Court,” while teleSUR reported that he avoided calling Israel’s actions in Gaza genocide despite references to reports by Francesca Albanese. Guterres warned that growing divisions could deepen into a dangerous “abyss,” and he said the world was heading toward a multipolar system that could come through fragmentation and confrontation or through interdependence.
Hostages, ceasefires, and stakes
Guterres condemned Hamas’ October 7 terrorist attack and the taking of hostages, and he argued that those crimes do not justify collective punishment of the Palestinians. Guterres called for the immediate release of all hostages, humanitarian access to Gaza, and the resumption of efforts to achieve a two-state solution. The UN General Assembly’s 81st general debate began Tuesday at UN headquarters, and Guterres used the opening day remarks to press for an end to the broader fighting across the Middle East.
Guterres said the ICJ has not ruled on whether Israel committed genocide, while noting that the court’s provisional measures were issued while the case remains pending. Guterres warned that “Enough is enough,” and he framed the immediate stakes as compliance with international law and the ability of the United Nations and humanitarian organizations to carry out their work in Gaza.