Guterres: I Have Never Witnessed Such Devastation in the Palestinian Territories in My Lifetime

Al-Taj News – United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Tuesday that the past decade had witnessed the outbreak of wars that left devastating consequences and continued with horrific brutality, noting that the world is facing a test of achieving peace.

Guterres added, during the meetings of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, that civilians were targeted during the wars, human rights were violated, and hunger was also used as a weapon.

He stressed that military force alone cannot guarantee security, just as economic power alone cannot guarantee stability, emphasizing the need for an interconnected world and strong and effective institutions.

Guterres said that the world is facing a test of achieving peace, calling for de-escalation and an end to fighting in a number of countries.

Regarding the Middle East, Guterres said that the so-called ceasefire “is nothing more than gunfire, but less intense.”

He stressed that “we cannot allow the two-state solution to fade away before our eyes.”

Regarding the Palestinian issue, Guterres said that what followed October 7 for Palestinians in Gaza was widespread “killing and destruction,” stressing the need to emphasize the catastrophic situation in the Palestinian territories.

He noted that the devastation he witnessed in the Palestinian territories was unlike anything he had seen in his lifetime.