Spain Hosts High-Level Meeting to Advance Two-State Solution and End Gaza War At a high-level meeting aimed at addressing the ongoing conflict in Gaza, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares underscored the urgent need to end the persistent cycle of violence between Israelis and Palestinians.
“Spain Calls for a Clear Path to a Two-State Solution During High-Level Gaza Conflict Meeting.We convene today to push once again for a resolution to the Gaza conflict and to break free from the continuous cycle of violence. The path forward is clear: the implementation of the two-state solution remains the only viable option,” Albares stated to reporters.
The meeting brought together a diverse group of key international figures, including Albares’ counterparts from Norway and Slovenia, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa, and representatives from the Arab-Islamic Contact Group for Gaza. This Contact Group includes prominent nations such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Turkey.
Albares highlighted that there was a “clear willingness” among the attendees, despite the absence of Israeli representatives, to transition from mere discussion to tangible action. The focus was on developing a concrete timeline for the effective implementation of the two-state solution, with an initial step being the inclusion of Palestine as a member of the United Nations.
While Israel was not part of this specific meeting due to its exclusion from the Contact Group, Albares expressed openness to Israel’s participation in any future discussions centered on peace and the two-state solution. “We would be delighted to see Israel at any table where discussions about peace and the two-state solution are taking place,” Albares affirmed.
This meeting marks a significant step towards re-energizing international efforts to resolve the Gaza conflict through a mutually agreed-upon framework that aims to establish lasting peace and stability in the region.
On May 28, Spain, Norway, and Ireland officially recognized a unified Palestinian state, encompassing both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, with East Jerusalem designated as its capital. This recognition brings the total number of United Nations member states acknowledging Palestinian statehood to 146 out of 193.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has consistently emphasized that the establishment of two sovereign states within the territory of former Mandatory Palestine represents the only viable pathway to achieving lasting peace in the region. This vision for peace was first articulated during the 1991 Madrid Conference and subsequently reinforced by the Oslo Accords signed between 1993 and 1995. Despite these efforts, the peace process has largely stalled in recent years.
The urgency of finding a peaceful resolution has been intensified by the recent escalation in violence, particularly the 11-month-long conflict in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Palestinian militant groups, primarily Hamas. This conflict has been described as the most severe episode in the long-standing Israeli-Palestinian dispute. Additionally, there has been a marked increase in violence in the occupied West Bank.
The West Bank, including East Jerusalem, was captured by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War and has been under Israeli occupation since then. The expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank has further complicated the situation. Israel’s annexation of East Jerusalem in 1980, a move that is not widely recognized by the international community, has also been a contentious issue.
Israel has repeatedly underscored the importance of security guarantees as a critical component of any peace agreement.
In addition to addressing these core issues, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide highlighted that the recent meeting should also focus on the demobilization of Hamas, which controlled Gaza prior to the recent war. Furthermore, the normalization of relations between Israel and several other states, notably Saudi Arabia, was identified as an important topic for discussion.
This meeting represents a renewed effort to tackle these complex issues and advance toward a comprehensive and lasting resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.