Palestinian children are seen next to a tent that serves as a temporary shelter at the Al-Yarmouk stadium in Gaza City, on Feb. 5, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

It is vital to stay true to the bedrock of international law and "avoid any form of ethnic cleansing" in Gaza, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Wednesday.

At its essence, the exercise of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people is about the right of Palestinians to simply live as human beings in their own land, Guterres told a UN committee meeting.

"We have seen the realization of those rights steadily slip farther out of reach. We have seen a chilling, systematic dehumanization and demonization of an entire people," he said in remarks at the 2025 session of the committee on the exercise of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.

"In the search for solutions, we must not make the problem worse," Guterres warned. "It is vital to stay true to the bedrock of international law. It is essential to avoid any form of ethnic cleansing."

Guterres' speech came one day after U.S. President Donald Trump proposed that Palestinians will resettle elsewhere and the United States will take over and gain "long-term ownership position" in the war-torn enclave. But the UN chief didn't mention Trump or his proposal during his address.

During the meeting, Guterres also called for a full ceasefire in Gaza following the first phase of a truce deal between Israel and Hamas.

"First, we must keep pushing for a permanent ceasefire and the release of all hostages without delay," he said. "We cannot go back to more death and destruction."

Highlighting the importance of the two-state solution, the UN chief said, "A viable, sovereign Palestinian State living side-by-side in peace and security with Israel is the only sustainable solution for Middle East stability."

Guterres also voiced his concern over the escalating situation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. "I am gravely concerned by rising violence by Israeli settlers and other violations," he said.

The UN chief stressed the violence must stop, and international law must be respected, and accountability ensured.

Reiterating the UN's full commitment to the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, Guterres called on the international community to work toward preserving the unity, contiguity, and integrity of the occupied Palestinian territory and the recovery and reconstruction of Gaza.

Trump floated his plan during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, suggesting that the United States could take control of Gaza and relocate Palestinians, which has sparked widespread defiance and condemnation.

At Wednesday's noon briefing, when asked if Guterres believes Trump's plan amounted to ethnic cleansing, Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, responded, "Any forced displacement of people is tantamount to ethnic cleansing."

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