Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah stressed on Sunday that the two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict would form the foundation for permanent peace and security in the region.
The FM, along with foreign ministers and representatives from European countries, was in Brussels to attend a meeting of the Ministerial Committee assigned by the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit on Developments in the Gaza Strip.
The meeting stressed the urgent need to end the Gaza conflict and take necessary steps toward implementing a two-state solution.
Prince Faisal co-chaired the meeting with his Norwegian counterpart, Espen Barth Eide, in cooperation with the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell. The meeting was a follow up to a previous one for the committee held in Riyadh on April 29.
Speaking at a press conference with his Norwegian counterpart and Borrell, Prince Faisal said Saudi Arabia focused during the Riyadh and Brussels meetings on keeping the two-state solution alive.
The international community appears to be reaching a consensus over the solution that guarantees the security and rights of the Palestinian people, he remarked.
Prince Faisal warned that the situation in the Gaza Strip has become “critical”, demanding an immediate ceasefire.
The international community is in agreement on the need to reach a ceasefire and the release of hostage, he went on to say.
“The humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate rapidly and this is completely unacceptable,” he added.
Furthermore, Prince Faisal praised Norway, Spain and Ireland for recognizing the State of Palestine, noting that some other European countries are also considering such a move.
In addition, he stressed the importance of bolstering state institutions within the Palestinian Authority, which would demonstrate that the Palestinian state has the ability to rise up to its responsibilities in guaranteeing the security of its neighbors.
Prince Faisal said that should the international community uphold international law, including humanitarian laws, then that would send an important signal to Israel that it cannot act with impunity and cannot undermine the Palestine state forever.
Ministers and representatives from Algeria, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Denmark, Egypt, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Jordan, Latvia, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Palestine, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) attended the Brussels meeting.
It emphasized its support for efforts aimed at achieving an immediate ceasefire, releasing detainees and hostages, and ending the war in Gaza.
It also underscored the importance of addressing all illegal unilateral actions and violations in the occupied Palestinian territories, including control over the Rafah crossing, as well as tackling the catastrophic humanitarian crisis.
Prince Faisal also attended in Brussels a ministerial-level meeting with Arab countries and international partners to support the Palestinian Authority.
Palestinian Prime Minister Dr. Mohammad Mustafa and representatives from the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the Office of the Quartet regarding Palestine presented a reform plan and assessed the deteriorating economic conditions and humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territories.
The meeting welcomed the reform plan, with Prince Faisal reiterating the Kingdom’s support for the Palestinian government. He emphasized the importance of removing all obstacles, including those imposed by Israel, and called for lifting the seizure of Palestinian funds and refraining from any measures that hinder the work of the Palestinian government.
