Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas: We have recognized Israel's right to exist

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's statements are as follows: 

Hamas will have no role in Gaza and, along with other groups, must hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority.

We demand that aid reaches Gaza, that the occupation is lifted, and that hostages are released.

The war waged against our people must stop immediately. Siege and starvation are not ways to ensure security.

We demand an end to settlement activities, annexation, settler violence, and attacks on holy sites.

We have recognized Israel's right to exist and continue to do so.

UN SECRETARY-GENERAL GUTERRES: 

“Today, we are here to find the only way to escape this nightmare: a two-state solution where Israel and Palestine live side-by-side in peace and security as two independent, sovereign, and democratic states, based on pre-1967 borders, within secure and recognized borders, in accordance with international law, UN resolutions, and other relevant agreements, with Jerusalem as the capital of both states.”

Stating that he welcomes the commitments of UN member states to recognize the State of Palestine in this context, Guterres noted that support for a two-state solution must be increased.

“STATEHOOD IS A RIGHT FOR PALESTINIANS, NOT A REWARD”

Calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, Guterres said, "Nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people, or any ethnic cleansing, the systematic destruction of Gaza, the starvation of the population, or the killing of tens of thousands of civilians, mostly women and children, and hundreds of our humanitarian aid workers."

Reporting that new illegal settlements have been approved in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Guterres stated, "Nothing can excuse the developments in the West Bank that pose an existential threat to the two-state solution. The relentless expansion of settlements, the invisibly growing threat of annexation, and the intensification of settler violence—all of these must be stopped."

Stating that the situation in Palestine is "morally, legally, and politically intolerable," Guterres emphasized that they must refocus on a two-state solution before it is too late.

Underlining that there is no alternative to a two-state solution in Palestine, Guterres said, "Let us be clear: statehood is a right for Palestinians, not a reward. And denying statehood would be a gift to extremists everywhere."