United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged world leaders to "keep the two-state solution alive" as bombings and famine continued in the Gaza Strip, with the UN warning of a surge in acute malnutrition among Palestinian children.

"It is absolutely essential to keep alive the two-state solution perspective with all the terrible things we are witnessing in Gaza and the West Bank," Guterres told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York on Thursday, in response to a question about his message to the leaders' meeting to be co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia.

"And for those that doubt about the two-state solution, I ask: What is the alternative? Is it a one-state solution in which either the Palestinians are expelled or forced to live in their land without rights?" said Guterres.

He also expressed disappointment following the UN Security Council's failure on Wednesday to adopt a resolution demanding an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, and the release of all hostages being held captive by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Palestinian sources said Israeli strikes killed three journalists on Thursday, while two others were seriously wounded at the courtyard of the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City. The Israel Defense Forces said the strike targeted an Islamic Jihad operative at the site, Xinhua News Agency reported.

The secretary-general reiterated that only a permanent ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages, and unimpeded humanitarian access would allow the UN to deliver meaningful relief to civilians in Gaza.

Guterres also paid tribute to 168 UN humanitarians who lost their lives in the line of duty in 2024, mostly in Gaza.

In the latest Humanitarian Situation Update of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs published on Thursday, it said that more than 2,700 children under the age of 5 were diagnosed with acute malnutrition in the second half of May, reflecting a sharp deterioration.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday admitted that Israel has armed local groups in the Gaza Strip to counter Hamas and said it was reportedly coordinated with security officials, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Netanyahu was responding to accusations made by former defense minister Avigdor Lieberman, who said the prime minister had ordered arms transfers to "criminal gangs" in Gaza.

'Divide and conquer'

Hadi Rahmat Purnama, an assistant professor of international law and chair of the Centre for International Law Studies at the Faculty of Law at Universitas Indonesia in Jakarta, called the move "a classic divide and conquer" by the Israeli government for meddling within the conflict in Gaza.

"Israeli officials who support the gang might be attributed to the state as a wrongful act under international law. State officials cannot abuse their authority to support an 'organized crime', which will lead to international responsibility attributed to the state," Purnama told China Daily.

Ahmad Ghouri, an associate professor at the School of Law, Politics and Sociology at the University of Sussex and Senior Counsel at Albertson Solicitors in London, told China Daily that from the perspective of international law, the activation and arming of Palestinian clans in Gaza by Israel "introduce several legal and ethical complexities".

He said under the principles of international humanitarian law, particularly the Geneva Conventions, parties to a conflict must ensure that military strategies adhere to legal frameworks that protect civilians and maintain order.

"The arming of non-state actors, such as these clans, raises concerns about accountability, chain of command and the potential for violations of human rights. Such actions risk exacerbating instability and could lead to further fragmentation within Gaza, undermining efforts for lawful governance," he said.

Ghouri said Israel's decision to support these clans could be interpreted as a move to weaken Hamas, a recognized non-state armed group, but it also raises questions about proportionality and necessity in the conduct of hostilities.

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