Representatives of Ministerial Committee on Gaza call for adopting two-state solution and achieving peace in ME

Egypt Today

12-04-2025

Israel shells residential block in the Gaza Strip- photo by Palestinian journalists in Gaza
CAIRO – 12 April 2025: On the sidelines of the 4th Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkey, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Representatives of the Ministerial Committee on Gaza of the League of Arab States and Organization of Islamic Cooperation issued a joint communique, calling for translating the calls for the two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli cause into action.
They called also the necessity of the end of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and violations in the West Bank.
The full text of the joint communique:
We, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Representatives of the Ministerial Committee on Gaza of the League of Arab States and Organization of Islamic Cooperation, as well as the Representatives of Ireland, Kingdom of Norway, Republic of Slovenia, Kingdom of Spain, the People's Republic of China and Russian Federation met today in Antalya to address the unfolding situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) with a particular focus on ending the war on Gaza. We seek to take concrete actions for implementation of the two-State solution to achieve lasting peace as well as the urgent actions it requires.
Following our deliberations during the meeting, we have agreed on the following:
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is in its worst phase in decades, undermining efforts for the implementation of the two-State solution, the international law and the principles of the United Nations Charter. The region has witnessed several cycles of negotiations, international initiatives, escalations and wars. However, the current political deadlock and humanitarian disaster have never been worse.
Despite decades-long discussions between the conflicting parties and international engagement, the two-State solution, which is internationally accepted as the only viable solution to the conflict, has been disregarded.
The efforts-and calls by the international community for a just and lasting settlement of the conflict have not translated into results on the ground. The tragic events unfolding are a manifestation of a long-standing conflict rather than a new stage in the conflict.
We are convinced that lack of progress towards the implementation of the two-State solution is fundamentally fueling all kinds of extremism and violence, as current developments proved once more. We condemn all forms of violence and terrorism.
Based on past experience, leaving this conflict unresolved will only risk recurrence of the war in the time to come. Therefore, the parties involved need to engage in genuine, committed talks, including through regional and international mediation. Meanwhile, the international community must assume its responsibility to support a political and just solution that brings an end to occupation and the waves of violence in the Middle East.
Several efforts to support the implementation of the two-State solution are underway, namely those by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation-League of Arab States Ministerial Committee, the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the two-State solution and the Ministerial Meeting of the Contact Group in Madrid in May 26. The Antalya Ministerial meeting highlighted the relevance of these initiatives in maintaining momentum in implementing the two-State solution.
We express our grave concern once again over recent developments in the OPT, and condemn the resumption of hostilities in Gaza, in particular the indiscriminate attacks of Israeli forces resulting in the loss of an extremely high number of civilians and the deliberate destruction of the remaining vital infrastructure, and call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in line with UN resolutions and the full implementation of the agreement on the ceasefire and release of hostages/detainees that went into effect on January 19th and as brokered by Egypt, Qatar and the United States, with a view to ending the bloodshed, delivery of humanitarian assistance and initiating the recovery and reconstruction process. We call as well for the unification of the Gaza Strip with the West Bank, including East Jerusalem under the Palestinian Authority (PA) and stress the importance of providing political and financial support to the PA in assuming all of its responsibilities in the Gaza Strip and throughout the OPT.
We reiterate our firm and categorical rejection of any displacement or expulsion of the Palestinian people out of Gaza and the West Bank including East Jerusalem, and our call for the full respect of International Law and International Humanitarian Law, the immediate restoration of all basic services in Gaza, and ensuring swift, sustained and unimpeded humanitarian access, and the provision of humanitarian assistance at scale, into and throughout the entire Gaza Strip. Forcing people out of Gaza by making Gaza unlivable is not voluntary migration. It is forced displacement, which we categorically reject.
As the humanitarian catastrophe continues, we reject the weaponizing of aid and using it as leverage in this conflict. Aid should enter Gaza unrestricted and Israeli crossings should be opened along with utilizing air and sea aid delivery to address the desperate need in Gaza. No justification can be accepted for starving the Palestinian people in Gaza and depriving them of basic humanitarian aid.
We reaffirm our support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), which plays an indispensable and irreplaceable role in the delivery of essential services and humanitarian aid to Palestine refugees. We also emphasized that there is no alternative to UNRWA, owing to its mandate given by the UN General Assembly.
The meeting commended mediation efforts of Egypt, Qatar and the United States to reach a ceasefire, important to advance in reconstruction efforts and strongly supported the reconstruction plan initiated by Egypt, in coordination with the Palestinian government, and adopted by the League of Arab States and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and which received support from international partners. The meeting also supported the international conference to be held in Cairo, Egypt, for early recovery and reconstruction in the Gaza Strip in cooperation with the United Nations and international donors.
The High-level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the two-State solution to be convened in New York in June and co-chaired by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the French Republic with the primary goal to identify the requisite actions to be undertaken by all relevant actors to advance the end of occupation and the implementation of the two-State solution and to urgently mobilize the necessary efforts and resources to achieve these aims, through concrete and timebound commitments.
We call for an end to the Israeli violations of international law in the West Bank, including settlement activities, house demolitions, land confiscation, destruction of infrastructure, military incursions into Palestinian cities and complete rejection and condemnation of any attempts to annex parts of the OPT. We emphasize that the legal and historical "status quo" at Jerusalem's Muslim and Christian Holy Sites be upheld and recognize the key role of the Hashemite Custodianship in that regard.
It is crucial that the international law and relevant resolutions of the United Nations are respected. Strong political will supported by international efforts and guarantees, is required to implement the two-State solution and solve the conflict. There must be accountability for illegal actions obstructing the implementation of the two-State solution and derailing peace efforts.
Therefore, indisputably, there is need to push all international efforts by taking positive irreversible steps, including the resumption of the political process to end the occupation in line with the ICJ 2024 advisory opinion and achieve just and lasting peace in accordance with International Law and the two-State solution, based on the relevant UN resolutions, the Madrid terms of reference, including the principle of land for peace, and the Arab Peace Initiative, through the consolidation of the Palestinian state on the basis of the June 4, 1967 borders, including with regard to Jerusalem, and in the frame of a binding timetable with clear and irreversible benchmarks and strong international efforts and guarantees, ensuring Israel and Palestine live side by side in peace and security, paving the way to achieving coexistence between all the peoples of the Middle East and security and regional integration.