After a meeting in Türkiye, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and League of Arab States Gaza Contact Group called for the unification of the Gaza Strip with the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, under the Palestinian Authority.
The two groups also condemned the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.
The meeting, hosted by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Türkiye’s Antalya province, was held on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum under the theme of a “Two-State Solution and Lasting Peace in the Middle East.”
The communique, adopted by Türkiye, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Indonesia, Nigeria, Bahrain, Jordan, Egypt, Ireland, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, China and Russia, emphasized the desire for concrete and immediate steps to implement a two-state solution to achieve lasting peace.
Political deadlock
Describing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as being “in its worst phase in decades,” the statement said efforts for the implementation of the two-state solution, international law and principles of the U.N. Charter are being undermined.
“The region has witnessed several cycles of negotiations, international initiatives, escalations and wars. However, the current political deadlock and humanitarian disaster have never been worse,” it noted.
Despite decades of negotiations between the conflicting parties and international engagement, the communique emphasized that the “the two-state solution, which is internationally accepted as the only viable solution to the conflict, has been disregarded.”
Lack of progress
The communique stressed that global efforts and demands for a just and lasting resolution have not yielded results on the ground.
“We are convinced that lack of progress towards the implementation of the two-state solution is fundamentally fueling all kinds of extremism and violence, as current developments proved once more. We condemn all forms of violence and terrorism.”
Referring to past experiences, the statement warned that leaving the conflict unresolved increases the risk of future wars, and “the parties involved need to engage in genuine, committed talks, including through regional and international mediation.”
It urged the international community to shoulder the responsibility of supporting a just and political solution that ends the occupation and waves of violence in the Middle East.
The communique condemned the resumption of hostilities in Gaza, “in particular the indiscriminate attacks of Israeli forces resulting in the loss of an extremely high number of civilians and the deliberate destruction of the remaining vital infrastructure,” and encouraged an immediate and lasting ceasefire in line with U.N. resolutions.
Demand for reunification
“We call as well for the unification of the Gaza Strip with the West Bank, including East Jerusalem under the Palestinian Authority (PA),” it said.
It emphasized the importance of providing political and financial support to enable the Palestinian Authority to assume full responsibility in Gaza and across its entire jurisdiction.
The communique reiterated a rejection of any displacement or deportation of the Palestinians from any part of Gaza, East Jerusalem or the West Bank.
“Forcing people out of Gaza by making Gaza unlivable is not voluntary migration. It is forced displacement, which we categorically reject,” said the statement, reaffirming support for the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA)
The statement praised mediation efforts by Egypt, Qatar and the U.S. toward a ceasefire, stressing strong support for a reconstruction plan endorsed by the Arab League and the OIC that was backed by international partners.
It noted support for an international conference on early recovery and reconstruction in Gaza, to be held in Cairo in cooperation with the U.N. and international donors.
Referring to the High-Level International Conference co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France in New York in June, the communique said at the meeting all steps to end the occupation and implement the two-state solution would be outlined, with a focus on concrete, time-bound commitments and mobilizing required resources.
Humanitarian aid access
It condemned Israel’s violations of international law in the West Bank, including settlement expansion, house demolitions and land confiscations, and voiced opposition to using humanitarian aid as a weapon amid human suffering.
“We emphasise that the legal and historical ‘status quo’ at Jerusalem’s Muslim and Christian Holy Sites be upheld and recognise the key role of the Hashemite Custodianship in that regard.”
The communique again emphasized that “aid must flow freely into Gaza, with Israeli crossings open and air and sea routes utilised. Starving Palestinians is unjustifiable.”
It said there can be no justification for starving Palestinians or depriving them of basic aid.
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