UN calls for recognition of Palestinians’ right to build their own state

Antonio Guterres made the remarks on Saturday, addressing a summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in the Ugandan capital of Kampala.

He denounced "the denial of the right to statehood for the Palestinian people" as "unacceptable," asserting, "The right of the Palestinian people to build their own state must be recognized by all."

The comments came amid an ongoing genocidal war by the Israeli regime against the Gaza Strip that began following an October 7 operation by the coastal sliver's resistance movements.

At least 24,927 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have so far died in the indiscriminate military campaign.

Refusal to accept the Palestinians' right to statehood, Guterres added, "would indefinitely prolong a conflict that has become a major threat to global peace and security..."

The regime has, since the onset of the war, been staging sporadic attacks against Lebanon too, which has sparked a firefight with the Lebanese resistance movement of Hezbollah.

Iraqi and Yemeni resistance movements have, meanwhile, been staging retaliatory strikes against Israeli and American targets as a means of protesting the onslaught and the United States' all-out military and political support for it.

In its final summit communiqué, the Non-Aligned Movement also "strongly condemned the illegal Israeli military aggression against the Gaza Strip," and called for "a lasting humanitarian ceasefire."

The assembled leaders in Kampala also called for "the independence and sovereignty of the State of Palestine" with East al-Quds as its capital.

NAM is a forum of 120 countries that are not formally aligned with any major power bloc.