‘Time is running out’ for Israel-Palestine two-State solution

This article is published in association with United Nations.

The UN chief warned on Tuesday that the two-State solution for the Israel-Palestine conflict is at risk of collapse amid illegal Israeli settlement expansion and annexation. 

Key points:

• Conditions for a viable Palestinian State are being “systematically erased” through Israeli settlement expansion, outposts and rising settler violence in the occupied West Bank
• Israel’s illegal E1 settlement plan in the occupied West Bank would deal a “deathblow” to Palestinian statehood
• UN chief reaffirmed goal of two sovereign States based on pre-1967 lines, with Jerusalem as the capital of both

António Guterres was speaking at a high-level meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

Even as support for the two-State solution has grown on paper, actions on the ground in the Occupied Palestinian Territory are threatening progress, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said at the event hosted by Canada, France, Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom.

“The conditions for an independent, democratic, contiguous, viable and sovereign Palestinian State are being systematically erased,” he said, pointing to Israeli actions, from war-ravaged Gaza to the Israeli settler attacks in the West Bank.

The road ahead

The meeting, titled The Road Ahead, examines the two-State solution and the comprehensive peace plan for Gaza, building on the September 2025 adoption of  the New York Declaration, by which world leaders pledged to end the war that erupted in 2023 following Hamas attacks on Israel – which has led to widespread destruction across Gaza and more than 70,000 Palestinians killed.

The UN Security Council endorsed a ceasefire agreement reached in October 2025 as well as US President Donald Trump’s 20-point provisional deal which established a Board of Peace under his leadership.

“For Palestinians and all those who care about peace in the Middle East, support for two States must go beyond words,” Mr. Guterres told leaders at the event.

The only credible path to lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians is the two-State solution, based on pre-1967 lines, international law, relevant Security Council resolutions and prior agreements, the UN chief said, adding that it also remains central to broader regional stability.

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Illegal Israeli annexation attempts

Illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank constitute a clear violation of international law, Mr. Guterres said, citing International Court of Justice (ICJ) findings and the decade-old Security Council resolution 2334. 

Yet, expansion of such Israeli activities continues to accelerate alongside a proliferation of settler outposts and a sharp rise in settler violence against Palestinians, from demolitions and evictions to land seizures and violations at holy sites.

Such illegal actions are creating a coercive environment that displaces Palestinian families and raises fears of ethnic cleansing, the UN chief said. 

He raised particular concern over Israel’s settlement plans for the E1 section of the occupied West Bank, saying such actions, if advanced, “would deal a deathblow to the prospect of a contiguous and viable Palestinian State”.

Read the full text of Security Council resolution 2334 here.

Tangible progress needed in Gaza

Turning to Gaza, the UN chief stressed that promises of a better future remain meaningless without tangible improvements on the ground, where most of Gaza’s 2.3 million population still lives in tent shelters among ruined buildings. 

In this vein, Mr. Guterres called for full implementation of the Trump Peace Plan.

Mr. Guterres also urged:

• An end to Israeli settlement expansion
• Prevention of annexation
• Support for Palestinian institutions
• Support for a credible political process to end occupation and achieve self-determination

‘Simply no alternative’

Welcoming recent steps taken by some UN Member States toward this goal, he emphasised that Gaza and the West Bank must remain politically, economically and territorially unified under a single, legitimate Palestinian Government.

The ultimate goal is two sovereign, democratic States – Israel and Palestine – co-existing within secure, recognised borders, with Jerusalem serving as the capital of both.

“There is simply no alternative,” he said, “and time is running out.”

What’s happening in Gaza and the West Bank right now?

Here are some of the latest updates from the UN emergency relief agency, OCHA on Gaza and West Bank:

Gaza

• Civilians continue to face life-threatening risks amid widespread destruction, immense humanitarian needs and ongoing strikes, with essential supplies still restricted
• In Gaza City, 21 people, including 12 children, were reportedly killed when a war-damaged residential building collapsed on 16 September
• Shortages of machinery, fuel and spare parts are hampering search and rescue, building repairs and relocation from flood-prone areas ahead of winter
• Two temporary waste disposal sites have exceeded capacity and closed, raising concerns over access to landfills

West Bank

• At least 27 Palestinians have been injured by Israeli forces or settlers, mostly in settler attacks, between 8 and 14 September
• Israel demolished more than 1,100 unpermitted structures in 2026, displacing over 1,500 people
• 275 Palestinian communities have been affected by settler attacks so far in 2026

Learn about UN efforts in the Occupied Palestine Territory here.