Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message, delivered by Deputy Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel Barrie Freeman, to the United Nations-Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Conference on the Question of Jerusalem, in Dakar today:

I thank the United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation for co-organizing this conference.

I salute Senegal for hosting — a powerful example of African solidarity with the Palestinian people.

You come together at a time when Palestinian suffering has reached new heights and hopes for a just and lasting solution have reached new depths.

Following the terror attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups on 7 October 2023 — which I have unequivocally condemned — the Israeli military operations have created a humanitarian crisis of horrific proportions, more dire today than at any point in this long and brutal crisis.

It is time for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.  The immediate and unconditional release of all hostages in a dignified manner.  Full, safe and sustained humanitarian access.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East’s (UNRWA) mandated role in supporting Palestinian refugees must be respected.  And obligations under international humanitarian law and Security Council resolutions must also be respected.

Meanwhile, the situation in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is in freefall.  This year alone, over 150 Palestinians, including over 20 children, were killed in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in Israeli security forces operations, attacks by settlers and other incidents.

Armed Israeli settler violence has surged, with many Palestinians killed, including sometimes in the proximity — and with the support — of Israeli security forces.  Since early 2025, tens of thousands of Palestinians have been forced to flee by Israeli security forces operations.

Illegal settlement expansion, large-scale land seizures and demolitions of Palestinian-owned structures continue unabated.  Israel’s policies in East Jerusalem, including restrictions on Palestinian access and worship, are deeply troubling.

Jerusalem — Al-Quds — holds a unique place in the hearts of millions of Muslims, Jews and Christians around the world.  What happens in Jerusalem — including continued provocations and incitements to violence — reverberates globally.

The position of the United Nations is clear:  The status of Jerusalem cannot be altered by unilateral actions, including settlement activities in occupied East Jerusalem.  It can only be resolved through negotiations between the parties.

Jerusalem’s demographic and historical character must be preserved.  Respecting and upholding the status quo at the holy sites is essential.

The International Court of Justice, in its Advisory Opinion of 19 July 2024, affirmed that Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and Gaza, is unlawful.

Israel has an obligation to bring an end to its presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as rapidly as possible.

The only realistic, just, and sustainable path is the two-State solution, with Israel and an independent, democratic, contiguous, viable and sovereign Palestinian State, with Gaza as an integral part — living side by side in peace within secure, recognized pre-1967 borders, and with Jerusalem as the capital of both States.

The two-State solution remains the only framework rooted in international law, endorsed by numerous General Assembly resolutions and supported by the international community.

This conference offers a timely platform to mobilize collective efforts towards this solution, and the just and lasting peace that Palestinians and Israelis deserve.

Now is the time to choose the path of peace.  For Palestinians.  For Israelis.  For the people of the Middle East and the world.