OSLO, Jan 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Norway hosted a high-level meeting on Wednesday to reinforce international backing for the two-state solution in the Middle East, address the ongoing crisis in Gaza, and strengthen Palestinian state-building efforts.
Under the theme “Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution,” representatives from 84 countries and organizations convened to discuss practical measures to advance peace in the region.
“The international community must do more to ensure that the two-state solution becomes a reality,” Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said during the meeting. He urged participants to explore innovative ways to strengthen Palestinian institutions and accelerate the state-building process, emphasizing that the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination is key to achieving lasting peace.
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa shared at the meeting his government’s plans and immediate priorities.
Discussions centered on obstacles hampering progress toward a two-state solution, including an escalating economic crisis in Palestinian territories, record-high Israeli settlement activity, and ongoing violence. Attendees also deliberated on the implications of Israeli legislation affecting the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which has constrained its ability to provide essential services like education and healthcare to Palestinian refugees.
Eide highlighted the grave consequences of these challenges and underscored the urgency of strengthening Palestinian institutions and the economy to prevent further deterioration.
The Global Alliance, established by Norway, the European Union, and Saudi Arabia during the UN General Assembly last September, aims to enhance international coordination to secure a ceasefire, rebuild Palestinian governance, and lay the groundwork for a two-state solution.
Israel was angered when several countries — including Norway — decided to recognise the Palestinian state.
The war in Gaza, sparked by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas’s attack on Israeli soil on October 7, 2023, has revived discussions of a two-state solution.
Analysts say however the possibility remains more remote than ever, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — firmly backed by US President-elect Donald Trump — vehemently opposed to the creation of a Palestinian state.
The first two meetings of the global alliance were held in Saudia Arabia in late October and in Brussels in late November. — NNN-AGENCIES
