The European Union and Arab League, as well as several other countries, including Britain and Canada, voiced their commitment to revive the two-state solution in a bid to end Israel's devastating war on Gaza. High-level representatives gathered in New York on Monday at an International conference, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, at the United Nations Headquarters. The United Nations conference, which was postponed from June and scaled down from world leaders to ministers, established eight high-level working groups to offer proposals on a broad range of topics with regard to the two-state solution. It resulted in a seven-page declaration, called the "New York Declaration," which sets out a phased plan that urges countries to recognise the state of Palestine, calls for the disarmament of Hamas and envisions the Palestinian Authority governing. "In the context of ending the war in Gaza, Hamas must end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority, with international engagement and support, in line with the objective of a sovereign and independent Palestinian State," the declaration read. The declaration also supports the deployment of a "temporary international stabilisation mission" under the UN Security Council to protect Palestinians, oversee the transfer of administration to the Palestinian Authority, and monitor the ceasefire. The text condemns the deadly 7 October attack by Hamas, in which the militant group killed about 1,200 people, and took about 250 people hostage. Some 50 of who are still being held. It marks the first condemnation by Arab nations of Hamas. It also condemns Israel's military offensive in Gaza, in which it killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, and its "siege and starvation, which have produced a devastating humanitarian catastrophe." Co-chairs France and Saudi Arabia urged all 193 UN member states to support the document before the start of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly set to take place mid-September. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposes a two-state solution and has dismissed the meeting, citing both nationalistic and security concern. The United States, a key ally of Israel, also boycott the event. France and the United Kingdom have previously expressed their intention to recognise the state of Palestine, which would align them with the 147 UN member states that have already done so. French President Emmanuel Macron announced last week that it would recognise Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly in September, which would make them the first G7 country and permanent member of the UN Security Council to do so. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Tuesday that Britain would recognise the state of Palestine before September's meeting if Israel did not agree to a ceasefire and a long-term peace process in the upcoming eight weeks. — Euronews
