On November 18, 2024, during a speech at the G20 summit, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged for a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon. He emphasized that there should be no double standards in the Middle East.
Guterres stated, "For the Middle East, I believe we cannot have double standards. We must apply the same principles everywhere. We need to implement the Charter, international law, and humanitarian law. We need peace, but we need peace on the road to a two-state solution. We need peace that guarantees the rights of the Palestinian people as well as the rights of the Israeli people to have a state, so that both states can live in peace and security."
He also highlighted the need to address immediate crises, condemning Hamas attacks while asserting that they do not justify collective punishment of the Palestinian people. Guterres called for an immediate ceasefire, the release of hostages, and effective humanitarian aid for Gaza.