UN Envoy: Statehood Is a Right, Not a Reward

Sigrid Kaag UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Briefs the Security Council on the Situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Urges Decisive Action on Peace Process.

By Ahmed Fathi

UNHQ, New York– The United Nations Security Council received a sobering briefing on Wednesday from Sigrid Kaag, Acting UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, who declared the region is in the midst of a “seismic transformation” marked by conflict, despair—and narrowing chances for peace.

“There can be no sustainable peace in the Middle East without a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” Kaag said, warning that the two-state solution is “on life support.” Without bold political will, she added, the region’s future will remain hostage to its unresolved past.

Kaag emphasized that peace cannot be built on partial or temporary arrangements. It requires legitimacy, international consensus, and the courage to act.

Gaza: A Human Catastrophe

Kaag’s most urgent remarks focused on the deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Since the collapse of the ceasefire in March, she said, civilians have been subjected to relentless violence, starvation, and displacement. “This is manmade,” she stressed.

Citing catastrophic food insecurity and blocked access to humanitarian aid, Kaag said, “The people of Gaza deserve more than survival. They deserve a future.” Though Israel recently allowed limited aid entry, Kaag likened it to “a lifeboat after the ship has sunk.”

She reiterated that the UN and its partners, including UNRWA, remain committed to delivering aid in line with humanitarian law and Security Council resolution 2720, but that aid “cannot be negotiable,” and the organization will not participate in any mechanism that violates humanitarian principles. Forced displacement, she stated, must be unequivocally rejected.

Ceasefire and Hostage Crisis

Kaag acknowledged the suffering of Israeli families following the October 7 attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups, calling the hostage crisis “immense and profound.” She welcomed the release of Edan Alexander on May 12 but called for the unconditional release of all hostages and an immediate ceasefire.

However, she stressed that durable security “cannot be achieved solely through force.” A sustainable peace, she argued, must be based on mutual recognition, justice, and the fulfillment of rights for both peoples.

Political Solutions and International Engagement

Kaag pointed to the upcoming high-level international peace conference in June, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, as a critical opportunity. “It must not be another rhetorical exercise,” she cautioned. The conference, she said, should establish a concrete path to ending the occupation and realizing a two-state solution with Jerusalem as the capital of both Israel and Palestine.

A viable path forward includes reuniting the West Bank and Gaza under a revitalized Palestinian government capable of governance, supported by the region and the wider international community. “Statehood is a right, not a reward,” she emphasized.

West Bank Deterioration

Turning to the West Bank, Kaag described a deteriorating situation that threatens to make a two-state solution “physically impossible.” She cited expanding settlements, land seizures, and increasing settler violence as signs of accelerating de facto annexation.

Ongoing Israeli security operations, particularly in refugee camps, have left many Palestinians—including children—dead or displaced. Palestinian militant attacks have also continued, resulting in Israeli civilian casualties, including a pregnant woman.

“Violence against civilians, from any side, is never justified,” Kaag asserted.

Palestinian Governance and International Support

Kaag urged the Palestinian leadership to overcome internal divisions and focus on governance reform. The Palestinian Authority, she said, represents decades of investment in state-building, and the international community should continue to support its viability and legitimacy.

However, she warned that the absence of a credible political process, stalled reforms, and restrictive Israeli measures continue to hamper any meaningful progress.

Five Priorities

Kaag outlined five immediate priorities to guide the Security Council’s engagement:

1. Immediate humanitarian access to Gaza, aligned with international law.

2. Resumption of early recovery efforts, including restoration of essential services.

3. Rejection of forced displacement of civilians in Gaza.

4. Post-war governance and security arrangements that address both Palestinian rights and Israeli security concerns.

5. Preservation of the territorial and political unity of Gaza and the West Bank.

A Final Warning

Kaag closed her remarks by invoking the sculpture Palestine Disappearing by artist Suleiman Mansour—a visual reminder, she said, of what is at stake.

“The responsibility lies with the parties and with us, the international community,” she said. “Let us not be remembered as the generation that let the two-State solution disappear. Let us be the generation that chose courage over caution, justice over inertia, and peace over politics.”

Word count: 735For syndication, please credit Ahmed Fathi, United Nations Correspondent.