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News18
an hour ago
- News18
Drawing A Line In The Sand: Can UN Conference's Two-State Solution End Israel-Palestine Conflict?
The seven-page 'New York Declaration' outlines a phased plan to end not only the war in Gaza but also the eight-decade conflict between Israel and Palestine A United Nations conference has advocated for a two-state solution between Israelis and Palestinians. France and Saudi Arabia have led this initiative, laying out the parameters for a Palestinian state. UN chief Antonio Guterres has described the two-state solution as the 'only realistic, just, and sustainable solution for peace in the Middle East". The seven-page 'New York Declaration" outlines a phased plan to end not only the war in Gaza but also the eight-decade conflict between Israel and Palestine. The plan aims to culminate in an independent, demilitarised Palestine that peacefully coexists with Israel and integrates into the wider Middle East region. High-level representatives at the UN conference have urged Israel to commit to establishing a Palestinian state. According to the declaration, the co-chairs, France and Saudi Arabia, the European Union, the Arab League, and 15 countries leading the working groups have agreed 'to take collective action to end the war in Gaza". The meeting comes at a time when reports indicate severe starvation and famine plaguing Gaza, exacerbated by Israeli policies and practices—a claim repeatedly denied by Israel. The conference was postponed from June and downgraded from world leaders to ministers. For the first time, the conference has established eight high-level working groups to examine and make proposals on various topics related to a two-state solution. The declaration condemns Israeli attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in Gaza, highlighting the 'siege and starvation" that have caused a devastating humanitarian crisis. It also reports that Israel's ongoing offensive against Hamas has resulted in over 60,000 Palestinian deaths. The conference plan envisions the Palestinian Authority governing and controlling all Palestinian territory, supported by a transitional administrative committee established after a ceasefire in Gaza. It also advocates for the deployment of 'a temporary international stabilization mission" under UN auspices to protect Palestinian civilians, support the transfer of security to the Palestinian Authority, and provide security guarantees for both Palestine and Israel. Monitoring the ceasefire and future peace agreements will be a priority. Without directly naming Israel, the document criticises 'illegal unilateral actions" that threaten the realisation of an independent Palestinian state. This comes amid reports of Tel Aviv's plans to annexe the West Bank. The New York Declaration also condemns 'the attacks committed by Hamas against civilians" in southern Israel on October 7, 2023—the first condemnation of Hamas by Arab nations. These attacks resulted in the deaths of about 1,200 civilians, mostly Israelis, and the taking of 250 hostages, 50 of whom are still held. A crucial question remains: can a two-state solution be achieved without cooperation from Israel and its ally, the United States? Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has opposed the two-state solution and rejected the meeting on nationalistic and security grounds. The United States has also boycotted the meeting, calling it 'unproductive and ill-timed". India has joined 120 nations calling for a two-state solution. These talks follow French President Emmanuel Macron's announcement at the United Nations General Assembly in September that France will formally recognise the state of Palestine. Recently, the UK's Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer extended his support but was quickly criticised by Netanyahu, who accused him of 'appeasing terrorists" after Starmer stated that the UK would recognise Palestine unless Israel took urgent steps to end the war in Gaza. view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
News18
an hour ago
- News18
What Starmers plan for UK to recognise Palestinian state means
Agency: PTI London, Jul 30 (AP) Britain has announced that it will recognise a Palestinian state in September unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire in Gaza, stops building settlements in the West Bank and commits to a two-state solution. The UK followed France, which declared last week that it will recognise Palestinian statehood at the United Nations General Assembly in September. More than 140 countries have already taken that step, but France and Britain are significant as members of the Group of Seven and the UN Security Council. The two countries hope their bold – if largely symbolic – diplomatic moves will help add pressure on Israel to ease a catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Gaza and breathe life into a moribund peace process. What Starmer said Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Tuesday that Britain will recognise a Palestinian state in September, 'unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza, agree to a ceasefire and commit to a long-term, sustainable peace, reviving the prospect of a two-state solution." He said that included 'allowing the UN to restart the supply of aid, and making clear there will be no annexations in the West Bank." Starmer also said Hamas must release all the hostages it holds, agree to a ceasefire, disarm and 'accept that they will play no part in the government of Gaza" — though he did not make that a condition for recognition. Britain says that's because Hamas has no role in a two-state solution. UK officials increasingly worry that such a solution is becoming all but impossible – not only because of the razing of Gaza and displacement of most of its population during 22 months of war, but because Israel's government is aggressively expanding settlements in the West Bank, land Palestinians want for their future state. Much of the world regards Israel's occupation of the West Bank as illegal. 'The moment to act is now," Cabinet minister Heidi Alexander told Times Radio. 'There's the effective annexation of the West Bank happening." Starmer is also under mounting domestic pressure to do something as horror spreads at the scenes of hunger in Gaza. More than 250 of the 650 lawmakers in the House of Commons signed a letter in recent days urging the British government to recognise a Palestinian state. Opinion polls suggest far more Britons support recognition than oppose it, though a large number are undecided. Reaction is polarised Israel quickly condemned the British move. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who rejects the two-state solution on both nationalistic and security grounds, said Starmer's announcement 'rewards Hamas's monstrous terrorism and punishes its victims." The families of Israelis taken hostage by Hamas were also critical. 'Recognising a Palestinian state while 50 hostages remain trapped in Hamas tunnels amounts to rewarding terrorism," said the Hostages Family Forum, which represents many hostages' relatives. Emily Damari, a British-Israeli national who was held captive for more than a year, called Starmer's stance 'a moral failure." The British statement was welcomed by the Palestinian Authority, which Britain views as a legitimate representative of Palestinians. It has limited autonomy in pockets of the occupied West Bank. Husam Zomlot, the Palestinian Authority's envoy in London, said Britain's statement 'is a corrective to over a century of dispossession, during which the Palestinian people have been deprived of our land, liberty and lives." Limited influence, historical weight In practice, Britain's influence on Israel is limited. The UK government has suspended free trade talks and halted some arms shipments to Israel over its conduct of the war, but is not a major economic or military partner. History has, however, given Britain a particular interest and role in the Middle East. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said Britain bears a 'special burden of responsibility" as the former governing power of what was then Palestine and author of the 1917 Balfour Declaration, which backed the establishment of a Jewish homeland, but also pledged to protect the rights of the Palestinian population. 'This has not been upheld, and it is a historical injustice which continues to unfold," Lammy said at the UN on Tuesday. Most of Britain's main political parties support a two-state solution. But the right-of-centre opposition Conservatives said Starmer's announcement was premature. 'Recognition of a Palestinian state is only meaningful if it is part of a formal peace process and cannot happen while hostages are still being held in terrorist captivity and while Hamas' reign of terror continues," said Priti Patel, the party's foreign affairs spokeswoman. Ed Davey, leader of the centrist Liberal Democrats, welcomed Starmer's statement as a step forward but said the prime minister should not use Palestinian statehood as 'a bargaining chip." The move may spark diplomatic momentum Britain and France hope other countries will follow their move. On Tuesday, European Union member Malta said it, too, would recognise a Palestinian state in September. Germany, a major European power and strong ally of Israel, remains a holdout. Chancellor Friedrich Merz reiterated his country's position that recognition of a Palestinian state 'can be one of the last steps on the road to realising a two-state solution," but that Berlin has no plans for recognition 'in the short term." Real clout rests with the US, and Starmer's cautious approach may be designed to persuade President Donald Trump to take a tougher line with his ally Netanyahu. The prospects are uncertain, to say the least. Asked about Britain's stance on Tuesday, Trump said: 'We have no view on that." Yossi Mekelberg, a Middle East expert at international affairs think tank Chatham House, said there is 'no doubt" that a global majority supports Palestinian statehood, but that's not enough to make it a reality. 'British recognition or French recognition doesn't make it internationally recognised," he said. 'You need the (UN) Security Council — and that is not going to happen because of a certain person in the White House." (AP) GSP (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: July 30, 2025, 19:45 IST News agency-feeds What Starmers plan for UK to recognise Palestinian state means Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
India.com
2 hours ago
- India.com
Bad news for Netanyahu as 14 nations open new front against Israel, says will recognize Palestine if…; the countries are France, Spain, Canada and…
(File) Israel Gaza war: In a major setback to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the ongoing Israel-Gaza war, as many as 14 countries have opened a united front against the Jewish nation, warning that they will proceed to recognize the Palestine as an independent state if Tel Aviv does not end its hostilities in the war-torn region, especially in the embattled Gaza Strip. Which countries are part of the anti-Israel front? According to media reports, the foreign ministers of Andorra, Canada, Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Slovenia and Spain, in a joint statement, said the countries will submit the proposal in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September, if Israel continues its military operation in Gaza. French Foreign Minister Jean Noel Barrot shared the joint statement on his social media handles, terming it as a 'momentous decision' to end the 'endless cycle of violence in Gaza. The French minister revealed that he has invited other countries to sign the proposal to recognize the State of Palestine as a sovereign country, hinting that more nations could join the front in coming days to add pressure on Israel What did the statement say? The joint statement of foreign ministers shared by France's Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs condemned the October 7 terrorist attack by Hamas, and demanded an immediate ceasefire, and the unconditional release of all hostages by the Palestinian armed group. The statement expressed grave concern 'over the high number of civilian casualties and humanitarian situation in Gaza and emphasize the essential role of the United Nations and its agencies in facilitating humanitarian assistance', and reiterated their 'unwavering commitment' to implementing the two-State solution to resolve Israel-Palestine conflict. They urged all countries to establish normal relations with Israel, but noted that the war in Gaza must be stopped for that to happen. The countries also expressed their determination to work on an architecture for the 'day after' in Gaza which includes the reconstruction of the war-ravaged Strip, disarmament of Hamas and its exclusion from any future Palestinian governance.
