Guterres, in final UN address, says Gaza destruction beyond anything he has seen

September 22, 2026 at 06:19 PM2 min

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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in his final General Assembly address, said the death and destruction in Gaza since October 7, 2023, are unlike anything he has witnessed. He warned that violence, displacement, and settlement expansion in the West Bank are crushing the path to peace and raising the specter of ethnic cleansing. Guterres called for an end to attacks on Gaza and urged the international community to preserve the two-state solution.

Key Facts

Guterres said the attacks on Palestinians in Gaza have caused death and destruction on a scale unlike anything he has witnessed during his years as Secretary-General.
He stated that violence, displacement, and settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank are crushing the path to peace and raising the specter of ethnic cleansing.
Guterres called for an end to attacks on Gaza and for humanitarian aid to reach the territory.
He urged the international community to preserve the two-state solution and prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state from disappearing.
Guterres' term as UN Secretary-General ends at the end of the year.

Gaza Destruction

In his final address to the UN General Assembly, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7, 2023, have caused death and destruction on a scale unlike anything he has witnessed during his tenure. He described the situation as one of the most severe he has seen in his years as Secretary-General. Guterres reiterated his call for an end to attacks on Gaza and for humanitarian aid to reach the territory. He noted that Palestinians continue to live under severe humanitarian conditions.

West Bank Concerns

Guterres said violence, displacement, and the expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are crushing the path to peace. He stated that these developments raise the specter of ethnic cleansing. He called on the international community to preserve the two-state solution and prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state from disappearing.

International Law

Guterres warned that the international system is weakening in the face of powerful states. He said military force alone cannot bring peace and that countries must adhere to international law and the UN Charter. He posed the question of whether power will be used within or outside the law, calling it the test ahead. Guterres' term as UN Secretary-General ends at the end of the year.