By Janet Ekstract NEW YORK – In a declaration on Tuesday July 29 during a United Nations high-level conference on a two-state solution for Palestine, Türkiye, the EU, the Arab League and 16 countries condemned Israel’s attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in Gaza.
The New York Declaration was adopted at the U.N. High-Level International Conference on the Peaceful Settlement of the Palestinian Question and Implementation of the Two-State Solution. Its main premise is that Israel’s siege and weaponization of starvation have caused what the declaration stated is “a devastating humanitarian catastrophe and protection crisis.” Those nations who are signatories to the declaration include Türkiye, France, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Canada, Egypt, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Mexico, Norway, Qatar, Senegal, Spain, the United Kingdom, along with the EU and the Arab League. The declaration is calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territory. The declaration states: “We reaffirm our unwavering support for the implementation of the two-state solution, envisioning Palestine and Israel living side by side in peace and security as democratic and sovereign states based on the 1967 borders, including Jerusalem, in accordance with international law and relevant UN resolutions.”
Meanwhile, during the conference, Turkish officials issued a stipulation that stated: “Considering decades of ongoing Israeli practices, the disarmament of Palestinian armed groups is only possible on the condition that an independent, sovereign and territorially intact Palestinian state is established based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, or based on an agreement reached between Palestinian groups within the reconciliation process.” The overriding emphasis from world leaders is that the only way to meet the legitimate aspirations of both Israelis and Palestinians, in accordance with international law, is to implement a two-state solution after ending the conflict in Gaza. The declaration reaffirms support for the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination, further stating: “Palestine’s full membership in the United Nations is an indispensable element of the political solution that will end the conflict, and this will enable full regional integration.” It also confirmed rejection of “any actions leading to territorial or demographic changes, including the forced displacement of the Palestinian civilian population, which is a blatant violation of international humanitarian law.”
Member states made a plethora of recommendations in the annex of the declaration that included the following: Support for reuniting the Gaza Strip with the West Bank as an integral part of the Palestinian State; Establishment of a Transitional Administrative Committee in Gaza under the Palestinian Authority; Deployment of an international stabilization mission under U.N. auspices to protect civilians and implement ceasefire agreements; Political, financial and technical support for urgent reconstruction in Gaza; Cooperation with the International Criminal Court regarding investigations into the situation in Palestine; Encouragement for states to join South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice regarding alleged genocide in Gaza. In a statement from conference participants, they said this conference comes at a “historic and critical moment for peace, security and stability in the Middle East.” Leaders warned that without taking definite measures for a two-state solution and solid international guarantees, that “the conflict will deepen and regional peace will remain unattainable.” The declaration condemned the October 7, 2023 attacks on civilians and Israel’s military response in Gaza with a strong emphasis stating: “war, occupation, terror and forced displacement can provide neither peace not security” – adding that the only way to resolve the conflict is with a political solution.
