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Palestinians Look Forward to Holding Int’l Peace Conference in Early 2021

The Palestinians are pushing for holding an international peace conference in early 2021. (Reuters)
The Palestinians are pushing for holding an international peace conference in early 2021. (Reuters)
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Palestinians Look Forward to Holding Int’l Peace Conference in Early 2021

The Palestinians are pushing for holding an international peace conference in early 2021. (Reuters)
The Palestinians are pushing for holding an international peace conference in early 2021. (Reuters)

Countries supporting Palestinian Mahmoud Abbas’s initiative to hold an international peace conference have prompted local efforts to organize the meeting as soon as early 2021.

In September, Abbas had called on United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to convene an international conference in early 2021 to launch “a genuine peace process” between Israel and the Palestinians.

The UN Security Council met on Monday and supported Abbas’ proposal and the need to implement the two-state solution. China, Russia, France and Britain expressed support to resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict according to international law and resolutions, amid reservations from the United States and Israel.

Member of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s (PLO) Executive Committee and Fatah Central Committee Azzam al-Ahmad said the Palestinian leadership will launch a campaign addressing the public and international community to underline the need to hold the conference as proposal by Abbas.

“What took place at the Security Council is extremely significant. It was a response to everyone who tried to mislead the Palestinian, Arab and international public that the Palestinian leadership was not offering an alternative to the ‘Deal of the Century,’” said Ahmad.

The Palestinians have vehemently rejected US President Donald Trump’s peace plan, saying it is heavily biased to Israel and violated international resolutions.

The Security Council’s discussion of holding an international peace conference under the umbrella of the UN, with the participation of the permanent members and the Quartet plus, underscores the international community’s commitment to international and UN resolutions, continued Ahmad.

Palestinians want to launch an international conference attended by the Quartet (the UN, European Union, United States and Russia) and other countries to launch a multilateral mechanism to sponsor negotiations with the Israelis, based on Security Council resolution 1515, which states that Palestinian land is the occupied territories according to the 1967 borders.

In August, the Palestinian Authority informed the international Quartet of its intention to return to negotiations according to the 2002 Arab peace.

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Lebanon Warns Hamas against Acts That Harm Its Security

Civil defense workers and Lebanese soldiers gather at the site of an Israeli airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP)
Civil defense workers and Lebanese soldiers gather at the site of an Israeli airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP)
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Lebanon Warns Hamas against Acts That Harm Its Security

Civil defense workers and Lebanese soldiers gather at the site of an Israeli airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP)
Civil defense workers and Lebanese soldiers gather at the site of an Israeli airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP)

Lebanon's top security body on Friday warned Hamas against using the country's territory for acts that undermine national security, after rocket fire towards Israel sparked retaliatory strikes.

The Higher Defense Council said it had recommended the government warn Hamas "against using Lebanese territory for any acts that undermine Lebanese national security".

The council headed by President Joseph Aoun added that "the utmost measures and necessary procedures will be taken to put a definitive end to any act that violates Lebanese sovereignty".

Last month, the Lebanese army arrested Lebanese and Palestinian individuals accused of firing rockets towards Israel on March 22 and March 28.

No group claimed responsibility for the attacks, with the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, which fought a war against Israel last year, denying any involvement.

A Lebanese security source told AFP security forces arrested three Hamas members.

The Palestinian group claimed responsibility for occasional attacks on Israel from Lebanon during the war.

In its statement, the council said Aoun stressed Lebanon must not be used as a launchpad for instability or be dragged into unnecessary wars.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said illegal weapons must be handed over and that Hamas and other factions must not "undermine security and national stability".

The council also said legal proceedings would begin early next week against those detained over the rocket fire.

Israel has continued to strike Lebanon despite a ceasefire agreed in November to end more than a year of hostilities with Hezbollah that included a bombing campaign and ground incursion.

Under the deal, Hezbollah was to withdraw north of the Litani River and dismantle military sites to its south.

Israel was to pull out of southern Lebanon but has kept troops in five positions it calls "strategic".