NEW YORK, July 28, 2025 (WAFA) – The United Nations high-level conference aimed at finding a peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine and the implementation of the Two-State Solution convened today, Monday, at the UN headquarters in New York, under the joint chairmanship of Saudi Arabia and France.

Addressing the conference, Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa said this conference represents both a promise and a commitment to the Palestinian people that the historic injustice they have endured must come to an end.  He described the situation in Gaza as the latest and most brutal manifestation of that injustice, stressing that the time has come for collective action more urgently than ever before.

He added that the conference sends a message to the Palestinian people that the world supports their rights to life, freedom, dignity, their land, and their sovereign state, and also delivers a message to the Israelis that there is a path to peace and regional integration.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan also stressed that the conference represents a pivotal step toward advancing the two-state solution, ending the occupation, and realizing a just and sustainable vision for peace in the Middle East.

He praised French President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement of his country’s intention to recognize the State of Palestine, describing it as a historic step that reflects growing international support for the Palestinian people’s right to establish their independent state and contributes to creating an international environment conducive to achieving the two-state solution.

He affirmed that Saudi Arabia believes that achieving security, stability, and prosperity for all the peoples of the region begins with justice for the Palestinian people and enabling them to obtain their legitimate rights, foremost among them the establishment of an independent state along the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

He stressed that an independent Palestinian state is the key to genuine peace in the region.

The Saudi Foreign Minister also emphasized the importance of unified international efforts through this conference to support the Palestinian people in building their institutions and advancing a peaceful resolution.

Meanwhile, French Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said that during this session, the outcomes of the roundtable meetings will be consolidated to unify visions, highlight achievements across all tracks, and focus on the next steps to be taken.

He stressed that targeting children and women seeking food aid is unacceptable and that the war in Gaza must end, stating that the conference should mark a turning point toward implementing the two-state solution.

He said that efforts must be made to find ways to transition from ending the war in Gaza to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Le Drian added that the political two-state solution is the only way to fulfill the people’s aspirations for peace and security, with no viable alternative.

He added that the conference has generated unstoppable momentum toward achieving a political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that ensures the establishment of a viable Palestinian state.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres also stressed that today’s conference is a rare and indispensable opportunity.  “We must ensure that it does not become another exercise in well-meaning rhetoric. It can and must serve as a decisive turning point – one that catalyzes irreversible progress towards ending the occupation, and realizing our shared aspiration for a viable Two-State solution.”

“The Two-State solution remains the only framework rooted in international law, endorsed by this Assembly, and supported by the international community,” he said.

However, he warned: “The truth is: we are at a breaking point. The two-state solution is farther than ever before.”

He thanked the government of France and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for organizing this international conference on the implementation of the two-state solution.

“We know that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has endured for generations – defying hopes … defying diplomacy … defying countless resolutions and defying international law,” he said, adding that, “The conflict continues to take lives, destroy futures, and destabilize the region and our world.”

He added: “But we also know its persistence is not inevitable. It can be resolved. That demands political will and courageous leadership.”

He stressed that nothing can justify the obliteration of Gaza that has unfolded before the eyes of the world.

Guterres highlighted the tragic conditions, including the starvation of the population, the killing of tens of thousands of civilians, and the fragmentation of the occupied Palestinian land.

He said: “Let’s be clear: The creeping annexation of the occupied West Bank is illegal. It must stop. The wholesale destruction of Gaza is intolerable. It must stop. Unilateral actions that would forever undermine the two-state solution are unacceptable. They must stop.”

He also referred to the support, as expressed in a Knesset declaration voted on last week, for annexing the Occupied West Bank. Guterres made it clear that the creeping annexation of the occupied West Bank is illegal and must stop.

The conference, which runs until July 30, brings together a large number of United Nations member states, international and regional organizations, UN specialized agencies, and civil society groups. Representing the State of Palestine is Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa.

The conference takes place amid the dire conditions faced by the Palestinian people due to the ongoing illegal Israeli occupation and its grave violations. Its goal is to implement United Nations resolutions and the two-state solution, marking a significant turning point toward resolving the Palestinian issue.

It came in response to the UN General Assembly’s resolution and the International Court of Justice’s ruling affirming the illegality of the Israeli occupation and the urgent need to end it.

The conference seeks to initiate a credible and time-bound political process, while also securing firm international commitments to support the Palestinian state politically and economically, advance governmental reform and development efforts, and enable Gaza’s recovery and reconstruction after the ongoing genocidal war comes to an end.

T.R.