UN Headquarters, New York, 29 July 2025:
At a high-level international conference held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, Bangladesh strongly reaffirmed its unwavering support for the two-State solution to the Palestine-Israel conflict and condemned the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza as “one of the gravest genocides of our time.”
Addressing the Conference on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and Implementation of the Two-State Solution, Bangladesh’s Foreign Adviser H.E. Md. Touhid Hossain called for urgent and concrete action to establish a viable, sovereign Palestinian state along pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
“Peace in the Middle East cannot be achieved without justice for Palestine,” he said. “And justice cannot be delivered without implementing the two-State solution, based on international law, relevant UN resolutions, and the aspirations of the people of Palestine.”
Hossain expressed deep concern over the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank and the erosion of Palestinian presence in East Jerusalem. Citing the July 2024 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, he urged full compliance with international law and an end to Israel’s unlawful occupation.
Highlighting the catastrophic human toll of the conflict, he stated that more than 58,000 Palestinians—mostly women and children—have been killed since October 2023. “Schools, hospitals, and aid camps are under attack with countless bodies lying beneath rubble in Gaza. We are undoubtedly witnessing one of the gravest genocides of our time,” he said, adding that Bangladesh calls for full accountability of the perpetrators and condemns the use of starvation as a weapon.
He stressed that mere words are no longer enough. “Our top priority must be an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza,” he said, also calling for unimpeded delivery of aid, protection of civilians and humanitarian workers, and support for the UN agency UNRWA.
Bangladesh also expressed readiness to join any UN-led initiative for rebuilding Gaza by deploying personnel and supporting the Arab-Islamic reconstruction plan.
Concluding his statement, Hossain reiterated Bangladesh’s call for full UN recognition and membership of the State of Palestine. “We must act with urgency and courage to uphold international law and take our position on the right side of history.”