Guterres expressed hope Tuesday, June 23, 2020 that Israel will hear global calls and will not go ahead with annexation of parts of the West Bank, which would undermine a two-state solution to the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Most of the international community considers Israels West Bank settlements illegal under international law.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres opened the meeting with a call on Israel to abandon its annexation plans, an appeal echoed by almost all other speakers.
Trumps Mideast plan, unveiled in January, envisions leaving some 30% of the West Bank territory under permanent Israeli control while giving the Palestinians expanded autonomy in the rest of the area.
With Trumps re-election prospects uncertain this November, Israeli hard-liners have urged prime minister Netanyahu to move ahead with annexation quickly.