A conference on Palestine was held, the two-state solution was supported

The conference also presented the "New York Declaration", a plan to end the almost eight-decade-long conflict and the current war in Gaza, which should culminate in the creation of an independent, demilitarized Palestine that lives peacefully alongside Israel and is integrated into the wider Middle East region.

The two-day meeting came amid the latest reports of hunger and shortages in Gaza, and growing global outrage that Palestinians are being denied food because of Israeli policies and practices, which Israel denies.

At the Conference, which was attended by foreign ministers, although it was initially announced that the leaders of the countries would participate, eight high-level working groups were held for the first time to discuss and make proposals on broad topics related to the two-state solution.

The "New York Declaration" states that the countries co-chairing the conference, France and Saudi Arabia, the European Union and the Arab League, and the 15 countries that led the working groups, agreed to "take collective action to end the war in Gaza."

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan called on the rest of the 193 UN member states to "support the document" before the start of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in mid-September.

The declaration condemns the "attacks committed by Hamas against civilians" in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, the first condemnation by Arab countries of Hamas, whose attacks killed about 1,200 people, mostly Israeli civilians, and whose militants took about 250 people hostage, of whom about 50 are still captured.

The document condemns Israeli attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in Gaza and starvation, which have produced a devastating humanitarian disaster.

The declaration provided for the Palestinian Authority to govern and control the entire Palestinian territory, with a transitional administrative committee to be established immediately under its auspices following the Gaza ceasefire.

It also supports the deployment of an "interim international stabilization mission" operating under the auspices of the UN to protect Palestinian civilians, support the transfer of security to the Palestinian Authority and provide security guarantees for Palestine and Israel - "including monitoring of a ceasefire and a future peace agreement".

The declaration calls on countries to recognize the state of Palestine, explaining that this is "an essential and necessary component of achieving a two-state solution."

The seven-page declaration is the result of an international conference organized by Saudi Arabia and France - on the decades-long conflict, writes Reuters.

The document calls on Israel's leadership to "issue a clear public" commitment to a two-state solution, including a sovereign and viable Palestinian state, to immediately end violence and incitement against Palestinians, and to halt all settlement, land-grabbing and annexation activities in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem.

The declaration commits to the adoption of restrictive measures against violent extremist settlers and those who support illegal settlements, and the adoption of targeted measures "against entities and individuals who act against the principles of a peaceful settlement of the Palestinian issue, through violence or terrorist acts and in violation of international law."

It also describes regional integration and independent Palestinian statehood as "entwined goals".

"Only by ending the war in Gaza, releasing all hostages, terminating the occupation, rejecting violence and terror, establishing an independent, sovereign and democratic Palestinian state, ending the occupation of all Arab territories and providing firm security guarantees for Israel and Palestine, can normal relations and coexistence between the peoples and states of the region be achieved," the Declaration states.

During the conference, several Western countries issued a joint statement in which they stated that they are considering changing their attitude towards Palestine, that is, to recognize a Palestinian state, ahead of the United Nations General Assembly in New York this September.

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In a statement issued by the foreign ministers of Australia, Canada, Finland, New Zealand, Portugal, Andorra and San Marino, it was stated that their countries are considering recognition "as an essential step towards a two-state solution" and invite other countries to join them.

The statement was also signed by the foreign ministers of countries that have already recognized Palestine, such as Iceland, Ireland and Spain.

A few days ago, French President Emmanuel Macron said that the country would recognize a Palestinian state at the 80th UN General Assembly in September, while British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that Great Britain would do the same if Israel did not stop its actions.

Malta's Prime Minister Robert Abela said Malta will announce the recognition of a Palestinian state during the United Nations General Assembly in September, explaining that the stance reflects Malta's commitment to efforts for lasting peace in the Middle East.

The conference was boycotted by Israel and the United States of America, which assessed the meeting as "unproductive and inappropriate".