BARCELONA: Arab states and the European Union on Monday agreed that a two-state solution was the answer to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell saying the Palestinian Authority should rule Gaza.
The meeting in Barcelona, the capital city of Spain, concluded with a consensus among EU members and other attendees on the necessity of a two-state solution.
According to Borrell, the Palestinian Authority, after holding elections and improving its functioning, is considered the only “viable solution” for the leadership of Gaza, currently governed by Hamas, to prevent a “power vacuum.”
A current extended six-day truce is the first halt in fighting in the seven weeks since Hamas attacked Israel to liberate its territories from Israel.
In response to the attack, Israel initiated indiscriminate airstrikes, followed by a ground offensive targeting civilian buildings, schools, UN installations, and hospitals in the besieged Gaza Strip.
According to reports, two-thirds of the Gaza Strip buildings have either been completely destroyed or partially damaged in Israeli attacks and more than 14,800 Palestinian civilians, mostly children and women, have been martyred.
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said that the Palestinian people should have the authority to determine their leadership. He suggested that any discussions about the administration of Gaza after the conflict should consider the West Bank and Gaza as a unified entity. This perspective aligns with the two-state solution, envisioning a Palestinian state in both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip alongside Israel.
Truce First Break in Seven Weeks of Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki stated that the Palestinian Authority sees no necessity to return, noting the continued presence of 60,000 public workers in the region. These remarks were made during the conclusion of a brief meeting of the Forum for the Union of the Mediterranean in Barcelona, a coalition of 43 countries from Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.
Israel abstained from the summit, with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan representing a group of ministers from the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki stated that Qatar, Egypt, the United States, and the European Union were actively involved in extending the truce. He cautioned that without an extension, the death toll could double due to the concentration of Gaza’s population in the south of the strip.
Al-Maliki urged collective support for the ceasefire, emphasizing a strong global message against war. However, Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi noted that some participants were hesitant to endorse an immediate ceasefire, demanding its prompt implementation.
