GAZA, (PIC)
Ministers from Muslim and European countries along with the European Union’s foreign affairs chief gathered Friday in Madrid to discuss how to advance a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In attendance were Palestinian premier Mohamed Mustafa and the foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye — all members of the Arab-Islamic Contact Group for Gaza — as well as the heads of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
The European Union was represented by its foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell as well as the foreign ministers of Ireland, Norway and Slovenia in addition to Spain.
“[We] have gathered today in Madrid in the midst of the worst crisis the Middle East has experienced in decades, to reaffirm our shared commitment to implementing the two-state solution as the only way to establish lasting peace and security.”
“Over the past years of sponsoring the peace process, the parties and the international community have defined the terms of reference and parameters for implementing the two-state solution, based on relevant UN Security Council resolutions, the rules and principles of international law, and the Arab Peace Initiative. However, illegal unilateral measures, settlement activities, forced displacement, and extremism have frustrated the hopes of the two peoples for achieving peace. Since October 2023, an unprecedented tragedy of unspeakable human suffering, violations of international law, and threats to international peace and security has unfolded before our eyes.”
“We call for the credible and irreversible implementation of the two-state solution in accordance with international law and agreed parameters, including the Arab Peace Initiative, to achieve a just and lasting peace that fulfills the rights of the Palestinian people … and achieves normal relations in a region of stability, security, peace and cooperation.”
“33 years after the Madrid Peace Conference, the parties and the international community have not been able to achieve our common goal, which remains valid: ending the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories, including east Jerusalem, which began in 1967, and achieving a reality in which two independent and sovereign States, Israel and Palestine, live side by side in peace and security, integrated in the region, on the basis of mutual recognition and effective cooperation for stability and shared prosperity.”
“In this regard, we welcome the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice issued on 19 July 2024, and stress the need to enable the Palestinian government to carry out all its responsibilities throughout the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including east Jerusalem.”
“We also fully support the ongoing mediation efforts of the Arab Republic of Egypt, the State of Qatar, and the United States of America, and reject all measures aimed at obstructing this mediation.”
“We have repeatedly called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the release of hostages and detainees, the restoration of full Palestinian Authority control over the Rafah crossing and the rest of the border, and the full withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from Gaza, including from the Philadelphi Corridor.”
“There is also an urgent need for the immediate, unconditional and unrestricted delivery of humanitarian assistance on a large scale through the opening of all Israeli crossings, and support for the work of UNRWA and other UN agencies, and we urge all parties to comply with obligations under international humanitarian law and implement the orders of the International Court of Justice.”
“We warn of the dangerous escalation in the West Bank, and urge an immediate halt to military attacks against Palestinians, as well as all illegal measures that undermine the prospects for peace, including settlement activities, land confiscation, and the displacement of Palestinians.”
“We stress the need to preserve the current legal and historical status quo in the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, and we stress the key role of the Hashemite Custodianship in this regard, and we call for an end to all measures that lead to regional escalation.”
“The international community must take active steps to implement the two-state solution, including full recognition of the State of Palestine and its admission as a full member of the United Nations. We emphasize that the issue of recognition is a key element of this new agenda for peace, leading to mutual recognition of both Palestine and Israel.”
“Today, we reaffirm our commitment to joint peace efforts to advance the implementation of the two-state solution, and recall the agreement on the need to convene an international peace conference as soon as possible.”
“In light of these objectives, we call on the parties and all members of the United Nations to join the broader meeting on ‘The situation in Gaza and the implementation of the two-state solution as a path to achieving a just and comprehensive peace,’ on the margins of the next session of the United Nations General Assembly on September 26, 2024.”
