Spain hosts European and Arab nations to discuss Israel-Palestine two-state solution
Spain hosted European and Arab countries for high-level talks in Madrid on Sunday, in an effort to pressure Israel to stop its military offensive in Gaza and move forward with a two-state solution.
'The only interest that all of us who are gathered here today... is to stop this unjust, cruel, inhumane war by Israel in Gaza, to break the blockade of humanitarian aid and to move definitively towards a two-state solution," Spain's Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, told media ahead of the meeting of 20 countries.
Albares referred to Gaza as an "open wound in humanity," that is claiming victims every day, and warned that silence is an "accomplice to this massacre."
The Madrid Group, also known as the G5+, is made up of European and Arab countries that promote the two-state solution.
Albares reassured that the group will take into account the peace and security of the people of Israel, but emphasised that the Palestinian people have the same right to such safety.
"Spain is going to propose here in Madrid today that there should be a major movement to recognise the Palestinian State. Again, not against the State of Israel, but in favour of the two-state solution," the foreign affairs minister said.
Albares also advocated for the suspension of the EU-Israel deal if Israel does not halt its military offensive in Gaza, which it recently ramped up in an effort to increase pressure on Hamas despite international criticism.
Israel's pressure on the militant group has included an aid blockage of almost three months, which raised widespread concerns about the critical risk of famine.
Sunday's meeting marked the fifth time the group of diplomats sat together, and comes ahead of a high-level UN conference on the two-state solution expected to take place in New York in mid-June.
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa said he hoped for US President Donald Trump to be present, and called the United States an "important stakeholder in the Middle East."
"We would like to see them engaged as much as possible. Their efforts in terms of Gaza ceasefire is appreciated," Mustafa said. "So hopefully more engagement, positive engagement by the US will bring help , bring peace and stability for the region.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Man accused of Boulder firebombing at pro-Israel event appears in court on federal hate crime charge
The suspect accused of injuring over a dozen people after throwing Molotov cocktails into a crowd of peaceful pro-Israel demonstrators last weekend appeared in federal court in Denver Friday to face a federal hate crime charge. Along with a federal hate crime charge, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, faces additional charges in Colorado, including attempted murder. Soliman allegedly crafted 18 Molotov cocktails before driving to Boulder June 1 and prepared for the peaceful pro-Israel demonstrators to arrive for the "Run For Their Lives," in support of the Israeli hostages. Soliman is accused of throwing two incendiary devices at the crowd. Soliman entered a courtroom Friday wearing a green jumpsuit and handcuffs. Boulder Suspect Spent A Year Planning Molotov Cocktail Attack On Pro-israel March: Docs While waiting for the hearing to start, Soliman silently rocked in his chair and looked around the room but away from the audience. Read On The Fox News App It began with Soliman being asked if he had read the complaint filed against him. After confirming that he had, Soliman was read his rights, and he asked for a court-appointed attorney. The court determined Soliman qualified for a court-appointed attorney. Mohamed Soliman Allegedly Planned Molotov Cocktail Attack After Gun Purchase Denial: Docs Prosecutor Melissa Hindman requested that Soliman be detained, and the defendant did not contest that request. Magistrate Judge Kathryn A. Starnella ordered Soliman be detained and set the next court date for 10 a.m. June 18. Victims and witnesses observed Soliman throw what appeared to be a glass bottle, which burst upon impact, creating large flames, an affidavit said. He also allegedly used a commercial weed sprayer as a "makeshift blowtorch." According to the affidavit, authorities discovered multiple glass bottles containing liquid, a lighter, rags, an insecticide sprayer and an AR-style rifle BB gun in Soliman's 2015 silver Toyota Prius. Boulder Terror Attack Witness Describes 'Horrific' Scene At Pro-israel Rally Authorities also found a Quran and paperwork with the words "Israel," "Palestine" and "USAID." In his interview with law enforcement, Soliman said he had no remorse for his actions and reiterated his intent to carry them out again if given the opportunity. The affidavit noted that Soliman left behind an iPhone and a journal at his Colorado Springs home, detailing his motivations and preparations for the attack. Facing a litany of charges, including multiple counts of attempted first-degree murder, first-degree assault and possession of incendiary devices, Soliman had initially been held on $10 million bond. If convicted, and his sentences are ordered to run consecutively, he could face a maximum of 384 years in state prison for those charges alone. Soliman was also charged with two counts of use of an incendiary device, which could add up to 48 years if served consecutively. Fox News' Alexandra Rego and Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this article source: Man accused of Boulder firebombing at pro-Israel event appears in court on federal hate crime charge
CNN
2 hours ago
- CNN
Trump Admin targets LGBTQ+ community during Pride Month
Trump Admin targets LGBTQ+ community during Pride Month CNN's Ben Hunte breaks down how the Trump Administration has targeted the LGBTQ+ community with its policies in just the first few days of Pride Month. 02:09 - Source: CNN See reactions to the Trump-Musk feud See some reactions to the intense public feud that erupted between President Donald Trump and his one-time ally, billionaire Elon Musk. 01:05 - Source: CNN Trump on Musk: 'The poor guy's got a problem' In a phone call with CNN's Dana Bash, President Donald Trump said he is 'not even thinking about' billionaire Elon Musk and won't be speaking to him in the near future. The comments come a day after Trump and Musk traded barbs on social media as their relationship deteriorated in spectacular public fashion. 00:43 - Source: CNN Trump and Musk escalate public feud An intense public feud erupted between President Donald Trump and his one-time ally, billionaire Elon Musk, with an argument about Trump's massive tax and domestic policy bill raging across social media and in the Oval Office. CNN's senior White House correspondent Kristen Holmes reports. 03:03 - Source: CNN Kara Swisher on the 'nuclear' feud between Trump and Musk CNN's Anderson Cooper talks with Kara Swisher about the stunning public feud between President Donald Trump and Elon Musk. 01:30 - Source: CNN German leader on 'terrible' impact of Trump's tariffs In an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz talks about the impact President Trump's tariffs are having on the auto industry. 01:13 - Source: CNN Curtis Yarvin is inspiring a new generation of MAGA CNN's Hadas Gold interviews anti-democracy author Curtis Yarvin about his argument for an all-powerful executive in the White House. 02:24 - Source: CNN DNC Trolls Trump with Taco Truck The Democratic National Committee parked a taco truck outside the RNC headquarters in Washington DC Tuesday, as a way to troll the president over an acronym created by a Financial Times commentator about the president's frequent walk backs and pauses to his tariff's. 00:52 - Source: CNN Musk calls Trump's bill 'disgusting abomination' Elon Musk lashed out at President Donald Trump's agenda bill — which the president is pressuring GOP senators to support — calling it a 'disgusting abomination.' CNN's Kaitlan Collins reports. 00:59 - Source: CNN ICE chief defends agents wearing masks during immigration raids Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons is defending federal immigration agents for wearing masks during raids across the US, citing safety concerns. The tactic has sparked backlash and raised questions about transparency and accountability. 00:58 - Source: CNN Dana Bash presses Trump's budget chief about cancer cuts CNN's Dana Bash presses Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought on the Trump administration's proposal to cut non-defense spending by more than 22% — including deep reductions to education, food assistance, and billions in cancer research funding. As Vought defends the cuts and criticizes the NIH, Bash challenges him on the real-world impact to life-saving medical research. 01:35 - Source: CNN Trump reacts to video of Macron's apparent shove from wife President Trump was asked by reporters about the viral video appearing to show French President Emmanuel Macron being pushed by his wife Brigitte as they disembarked from a plane in Vietnam. Macron, at the time, quickly dismissed the video. 00:34 - Source: CNN Trans high school athlete wins events amid controversy A transgender athlete, whose participation sparked a national controversy and a temporary rule change, took first place in two of her three events in the California High School Track and Field Championship. 01:09 - Source: CNN South Carolina voter says 'no' to moving center South Carolina has often bucked the electoral trend – voting for candidates who lost in Iowa or New Hampshire and thus helping pick which candidate will move on to the general election. CNN's Jeff Simon spoke to multiple voters at a Democrat dinner in Columbia, South Carolina about the party's leadership and future. 01:25 - Source: CNN Hegseth warns 'threat China poses is real' US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, speaking to Asia's premier defense forum in Singapore, delivered a dire warning to the world: China's designs on Taiwan pose a threat to global peace and stability that requires 'our allies and partners do their part on defense.' While Hegseth made clear that Washington does not seek conflict with China, he stressed the Trump administration would not let aggression from Beijing stand. 00:50 - Source: CNN GOP senator pressed on Medicaid in heated town hall GOP Sen. Joni Ernst faced concerns from town hall attendees over potential cuts to Medicaid and SNAP programs as a result of President Donald Trump's sweeping domestic policy bill, saying at one point, 'Well, we all are going to die,' and insisting that those who are eligible for Medicaid will continue to receive payments. 01:12 - Source: CNN Fareed Zakaria breaks down Trump's tariff battle CNN's Fareed Zakaria breaks down what's going on with President Donald Trump's battle with the Supreme Court over tariffs. 00:58 - Source: CNN President Trump's timeline for things seems to almost always be 'in two weeks' President Donald Trump told reporters it will take about 'two weeks' to determine whether Russian President Vladimir Putin is serious about ending the war in Ukraine. That two week timeline, CNN's Abby Phillip says, is a familiar one. 01:48 - Source: CNN President Trump is on a pardoning spree President Donald Trump used his pardon power to grant clemency to a wave of individuals who had been convicted of crimes that range from public corruption, guns and even maritime-related offenses, according to multiple officials. CNN's Kaitlan Collins reports. 00:53 - Source: CNN Trump responds to Wall Street term 'TACO': Trump Always Chickens Out President Donald Trump was asked about "TACO," an acronym that means "Trump Always Chickens Out," which is used by Wall Street workers for his on-and-off approach to tariffs. Calling it "the nastiest question," Trump defended his tariff policy by calling it "negotiation." 01:13 - Source: CNN Harvard students and faculty speak out against Trump Harvard students and faculty spoke to CNN ahead of commencement as Donald Trump said the university should cap foreign enrollment. The Trump administration has recently sought to cancel $100 million in contracts with the school. 02:03 - Source: CNN
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Detained Columbia graduate describes ‘visceral' harm of missing son's birth
Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University graduate detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) over his campus activism, said he has suffered 'visceral' harm after missing the birth of his son while in federal custody. 'The most immediate and visceral harms I have experienced directly relate to the birth of my son, Deen. Instead of holding my wife's hand in the delivery room, I was crouched on a detention center floor, whispering through a crackling phone line as she labored alone,' Khalil, a green-card holder, wrote in court documents filed Thursday. 'I listened to her pain, trying to comfort her while 70 other men slept around me,' he added. The Trump administration said it plans to revoke Khalil's legal status and urged him to deport himself voluntarily, according to reports from The Associated Press. Khalil was denied permission to go to the birth of his first child last month. Secretary of State Marco Rubio initiated removal efforts for Khalil in March, citing a section of the Immigration and Nationality Act over the government's allegation that he participated in pro-Hamas rhetoric at campus protests amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. 'To not be able to see them, hold them, speak with them freely, enjoy everything I imagined our first days as a family would be like, is devastating. Worst still is knowing that they must face all the fear and notoriety of this case without me,' Khalil wrote in this week's court documents. 'The Rubio Determination is casting a shadow of suspicion across our entire family. I could never have imagined this would happen, and it is horrifying to experience this as a husband and father,' he added. Khalil, in the court filings, denied accusations that he supports Hamas but questioned the Israeli government's strikes on 'innocent Palestinians.' Democrats and advocacy organizations have urged officials to immediately release Khalil, alleging that his constitutional right to free speech has been ignored. 'This arrest is unprecedented, illegal, and un-American. The federal government is claiming the authority to deport people with deep ties to the U.S. and revoke their green cards for advocating positions that the government opposes. To be clear: The First Amendment protects everyone in the U.S. The government's actions are obviously intended to intimidate and chill speech on one side of a public debate,' Ben Wizner, director of the American Civil Liberties Union's Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project, said in a statement. The State Department did not immediately respond to The Hill's request for comment. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
