NEW YORK, September 22, 2025 (WAFA) – The High-Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and Implementing the Two-State Solution resumed on Monday evening at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
The meeting is co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France, with the participation of President Mahmoud Abbas via video conference, alongside several heads of state, government leaders, and representatives of international and regional organizations.
Saudi Arabia, in partnership with France, had led the preparatory meetings for this high-level conference during April and May 2025. Specialized working groups were formed to prepare for the sessions and identify practical outcomes.
The conference, originally scheduled for June 2025, was postponed due to the Israeli war on Iran. France and Saudi Arabia later agreed to hold it in two stages: the first on July 28 at the UN headquarters at the level of foreign ministers, which produced the “New York Declaration.”
The declaration outlined key commitments regarding the peace process and the two-state solution, emphasizing “concrete, time-bound, and irreversible steps” toward the establishment of two states.
Among its core points, the New York Declaration stressed the need for collective action to end the war in Gaza, called for Israel’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and its transfer to the Palestinian Authority under the principle of “one government, one law, one weapon,” and reaffirmed that war, occupation, and forced displacement cannot bring peace or security.
The declaration reiterated that Gaza is an integral part of the State of Palestine and must be united with the West Bank. It called for the immediate formation of a transitional administrative committee to operate in Gaza under the umbrella of the Palestinian Authority following a ceasefire.
Additionally, the declaration committed to mobilizing political and financial support for the Palestinian Authority to strengthen its institutional capacity, advance reforms, and assume responsibilities across the occupied Palestinian territories. It urged the immediate release of withheld Palestinian tax revenues, the establishment of a new framework for revenue transfers, and the integration of Palestine into the global monetary and financial system to secure long-term banking relations.
The declaration also stressed the need to preserve the legal and historical status of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, and to adopt restrictive measures against violent extremist settlers and entities supporting illegal settlements in line with international law.
Furthermore, it urged Israel to issue a clear public commitment to the two-state solution, end violence and incitement against Palestinians, halt all settlement activity, land confiscation, and annexation measures in the occupied territories, including East Jerusalem, and abandon any annexation or settlement expansion policies.
The declaration concluded by affirming that coexistence and normalized relations among the peoples and states of the region can only be achieved through ending the occupation and establishing a sovereign Palestinian state.
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