Spain hosts meeting to discuss Israel-Palestinian two-state solution

‘Together, we want to identify the concrete actions that will enable us to make progress towards this objective,’ Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez wrote on X (Twitter).

‘The international community must take a decisive step towards a just and lasting peace in the Middle East,’ the socialist prime minister added.

Sánchez welcomed participants at his official residence before the start of the meeting at the foreign ministry in central Madrid, hosted by his Foreign Affairs Minister José Manuel Albares.

‘The implementation of the two-state solution is the only way to ensure a just and lasting peace in the region through the peaceful and secure coexistence of the state of Palestine and the state of Israel,’ Albares told a news conference.

In attendance were Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa and the foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey – all members of the Arab-Islamic Contact Group for Gaza – as well as the heads of the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

The European Union was represented by its foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell as well as the foreign ministers of Ireland, Norway and Slovenia in addition to Spain. ALSO READ: Spain, Ireland & Norway to recognise Palestinian state on 28 May.

EU nations have ‘different positions’ on whether to recognise Palestine as a state ‘but there is undoubtedly unanimity in the union on the need to support the solution based on the construction of the Palestinian state, because the state of Israel already exists’, Borrell told a separate press conference after the end of the meeting.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz blasted Borrell for taking part in the gathering, writing on X that ‘Borrell supports establishing a Palestinian terror state controlled by Iran, and the axis of evil against Israel, moderate Arab states, and Europe’.

‘This is Borrell’s legacy – anti-Semitism and hatred towards Israel,’ he added.

Calls for a two-state solution have grown since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, which began with Hamas’s attack on Israel on 7 October.

That attack resulted in the deaths of 1,205 people, mostly civilians. The militants also seized 251 hostages, 97 of whom are still in Gaza, including 33 the Israeli military says are dead.

Israel has responded with an offensive that has killed at least 41,118 people in Gaza, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. The UN rights office says most of the dead are women and children.

Sánchez has been one of the staunchest critics in Europe of Israel’s Gaza offensive since the start of the conflict. ALSO READ: Israel recalls ambassador to Spain over Palestine statehood & threatens ‘serious consequences’.

Under his watch, Spain on 28 May along with Ireland and Norway formally recognised a Palestinian state comprising the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

Earlier this month he announced that the first ‘bilateral summit between Spain and Palestine’ would be held before the end of the year. He said he expected ‘several collaboration agreements between the two states’ to be signed.

ALSO READ: 15 children from Gaza arrive in Spain for urgent medical care.

ALSO READ: Spain asks to join South Africa’s case at UN court accusing Israel of genocide.

ALSO READ: Israel orders Spain’s consulate in Jerusalem to not assist Palestinians.

Hoy celebramos en Madrid una reunión de países europeos con el Grupo de Contacto árabe-islámico para abordar conjuntamente la solución de los dos Estados.

Juntos queremos identificar acciones concretas que nos permitan avanzar en ese objetivo.

La comunidad internacional debe… pic.twitter.com/pJI4dcms46

— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) September 13, 2024