No alternative to two-state solution to resolve conflict in Middle East, says PM Lee

But he acknowledges that it is very difficult and looks way over the horizor’

- Jean Iau

A two-state solution is the only long-term answer to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in the Middle East, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Wednesday night.

Speaking during a dialogue with editor-in-chief of Bloomberg News John Micklethwait at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum, he acknowledged that such a solution is very difficult and “looks way over the horizon”.

“But the alternative to a two-state solution is a one-state solution. That means one side or the other has to be squeezed out. That is unimaginable. So if you cannot work towards a two-state solution, you are going to be in this cycle of mutual destruction for generations to come,” he said.

PM Lee reiterated Singapore’s stand on the conflict, noting that it takes into consideration the country’s national interests, as well as the sentiments of its people.

He added that its position rests on several principles: National borders are inviolate, countries have the right of self-defence and the killing of innocent civilians is against international humanitarian law.

He called what happened on Oct 7, when Hamas killed 1,400 people in Israel and seized more than 240 hostages, not just against international law but also a “horrendous terrorist attack on an enormous scale”.

“We fully understand how the Israelis feel about it, and why they have reacted the way they have done. But what has happened since then in Gaza, as a consequence of Israeli operations, is an enormous human tragedy,” said PM Lee, noting that the death toll is ticking up every day.

Earlier this week, the death toll from Israeli strikes in Gaza exceeded 10,000, according to the Gaza health authorities.

PM Lee said: “Everybody around the world looked at this in despair, and said surely this has to stop. Whatever the rights and wrongs, you must pay attention to the humanitarian considerations.”