Brussels [Belgium], April 21: Brussels today witnessed the start of the ninth session of the meetings of the International Coalition for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, with the participation of representatives from more than 60 countries, amid escalating international interest in reviving the political path for the Palestinian cause.
Maxime Prevot, the Belgian Foreign Minister, confirmed during the opening that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is no longer just a regional issue, but has come to directly affect the international community, explaining the broad international presence and intensive participation in these meetings. He praised the commitment of countries and organisations to seeking a permanent and just solution.
He stressed the necessity of dealing with core issues, foremost of which is how to link short-term calm efforts with a credible political horizon that leads to the establishment of two states, Palestinian and Israeli, living side by side in peace and security. He pointed out that the meeting comes at an extremely sensitive time, considering its convening a significant achievement in light of the deep challenges facing the Middle East and the world. He explained that the international community meets today "in the heart of the storm", but called for not losing the political compass and continuing on the right path.
For her part, Kaja Kallas, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, stressed the necessity of strengthening collective efforts to revive the two-state solution based on international law. She added that the relevant committees will continue to work on two basic axes: strengthening respect for human rights and accountability, and protecting the Palestinian people, while putting the two-state solution back at the forefront of the agenda as the only option that guarantees Palestinians and Israelis living in security, dignity, and peace.
She emphasised the European Union's continued condemnation of unilateral measures, including the expansion of settlements, which undermine the chances of reaching a two-state solution, demanding that the Israeli government reverse these decisions and urgently release withheld financial revenues to ensure the continued work of the Palestinian Authority.
In a related context, Kaja Kallas, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide, and Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa confirmed during a meeting of the International Coordination
Committee for support of the Palestinian Authority, held today in Brussels, the importance of investing in the current moment to push peace efforts, support the Palestinian Authority, and accelerate relief and reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, while stressing that the two-state solution remains the most viable path to achieving security and stability in the region.
Kallas asserted that giving the two-state solution a real chance requires commitments from both sides, calling on Israel to stop settlement expansion, punish perpetrators of settler attacks, and release withheld Palestinian tax revenues.
For his part, the Norwegian Foreign Minister said: "The desired Palestinian state must include Gaza, the West Bank, and the relevant parts of Jerusalem and live in peace alongside Israel," noting that this has been the core of the work of the International Coordination Committee and donors since its founding.
He explained that the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains catastrophic, with limited reconstruction operations, while conditions in the West Bank are heading towards further deterioration due to settler violence and the undermining of the financial situation of the Palestinian Authority.
The Palestinian Prime Minister explained that international support remains necessary for stability and security in Palestine and the region, and that the International Coordination Committee and the donor group continue to perform an important role in this field. Participants renewed their commitment to strengthening relief and reconstruction efforts, and implementing the two-state solution as the only way to achieve a just and lasting peace.
Source: Emirates News Agency
