Saudi Arabia – Middle East Monitor

A UN conference in New York on a two-state solution between the Palestinians and Israel has adopted an “integrated and actionable framework,” Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said on Tuesday, Anadolu reports.

“The final document of the conference constitutes an integrated and actionable framework to implement the two-state solution and achieve peace and security for all,” he told the conference, as cited by the state-run Al Ekhbariya television.

He, however, did not elaborate on the document’s content.

The two-day UN conference, co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France, brought together senior officials to discuss ways to recognize Palestinian statehood and implement the two-state solution.

Out of 193 UN member states, at least 142 currently recognize the Palestinian state, which was declared by the umbrella Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in exile in 1988.

Ahead of the conference, French President Emmanuel Macron said France will formally recognize Palestine in September.

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During the conference’s opening session on Monday, bin Farhan emphasized that achieving security in the Middle East begins with “granting Palestinians their legitimate rights.” He also called for an end to the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and accountability for those responsible.

He reiterated that the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative remains the foundation for a just resolution. The initiative proposes normalized relations between Arab states and Israel in exchange for a complete Israeli withdrawal from territories occupied since 1967 and the establishment of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Israel and the US have both opposed the conference, with Washington claiming it could prolong the ongoing war in Gaza.

The conference comes as the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing over 60,000 Palestinians. The relentless bombardment has devastated the enclave and led to food shortages.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

READ: Gaza death toll tops 60,000 amid Israel’s genocidal war