–emphasises importance of two-state solution

MINISTER of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd, on Tuesday reaffirmed Guyana’s commitment to a two-state solution, underscoring that the rule of law should prevail while, urging a ceasefire in Gaza.
Todd made these remarks while delivering an address at the 10003rd meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on “The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.”
It was then that he noted that the protracted Israeli aggression against Palestine cannot continue to be a defining feature of politics in the Middle East.
“In recent times, the aggression has extended to other countries in the region, heightening instability and insecurity, driving Israel poles away from its neighbours and undermining good neighbourliness,” he said.
Against this backdrop, he noted that the ongoing war in Gaza has become a catalyst for pain and pressure for thousands of Palestinians who are the targets of Israel’s instruments of war, starvation, bombs, bullets and displacement, among other cruelties intended to subjugate the Palestinian nation.
He added, “We have seen, for example, how famine unfolded in Gaza in full view of the international community, and 192 countries could not stop it.”
In relation to pressure, he said political pressure seems to be the only way that the occupying power might respond to the international outcry against the genocidal acts being perpetrated against Palestinians.
To this end, he added, “Guyana calls on the member states of the United Nations to ensure that their engagements with the State of Israel do not in any way contribute to prolonging the war in Gaza and the Israeli oppression of the Palestinian people.”
He indicated that it took a collective effort to dismantle the system of apartheid in South Africa, and, as such, Guyana believes that an equally strong and organised international response is needed to ensure the end of the occupation of Palestinian territory.
Todd underscored the importance of recognition of the State of Palestine by all United Nations member states as a crucial part of forcing an end to the Israeli occupation.
Speaking on the question of occupation, he recalled the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion confirming that Israel’s prolonged occupation of the Palestinian territory is illegal under international law and must be brought to an end.
Further, the minister noted that the General Assembly demanded Israel end its occupation within a year, which was by September 18, 2025, and that date has passed without compliance on Israel’s part.
With this, Todd said, “On the contrary, we have instead witnessed a series of developments that only entrench the occupation further and destroy the two-state solution. Guyana calls on Israel to respect the Charter of the United Nations; to abide by the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly, Security Council and other organs of the United Nations; to cease its contempt of international law and to commit to true peace in the Middle East.”
He went on to add that the occupation of Palestinian territory and the attendant ills are a historic tragedy of proportions that should shock the human conscience across the globe.
However, the right-minded, peace-loving promoters of justice must continue to defend the Palestinian people and oppose all attempts to erase them from their homeland.
Todd added, “I conclude, Mr President, by reaffirming Guyana’s continued commitment to the two-state solution and by underscoring our conviction that the rule of law will ultimately prevail in this decades-long question, as long as all member states choose to be guided by the principles of the Charter.
“I also reiterate the calls we have consistently made over the last two years for a ceasefire in Gaza, for the release of all hostages held in Gaza and Palestinian detainees held in Israeli prisons, and for unimpeded humanitarian access into Gaza. I also call on Israel to cease all its actions that are dismantling the two-state solution and the possibility of peace in the Middle East region.”