EU emphasizes the need to create a Palestinian state; Netanyahu’s rejection condemned

EU foreign ministers argued on Monday that the creation of a Palestinian state is the only way to achieve peace in the Middle East, and said they were disappointed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s apparent rejection of the idea.

“Benjamin Netanyahu’s statements are worrying. There will be a need for a Palestinian state with security guarantees for all,” French Foreign Minister Stéphane Sejourn told reporters in Brussels, where foreign ministers met to discuss the war in Gaza.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz and his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi were also in the Belgian capital for discussions. The issue of Gaza’s future has also pitted Israel against the United States and its Arab allies amid efforts to end hostilities in the Palestinian territory.

The number of Palestinians killed in the war has exceeded 25,000, according to the Hamas-affiliated Gaza Health Ministry. Israel reported on Sunday the death of another hostage who was taken by Palestinian militias in their attack on Israel on October 7, which sparked the war.

The EU is the main donor of money to the Palestinians, but has little influence on Israel, despite being its main trading partner. The 27 member states are also deeply divided over what strategy to adopt. But as the death toll in the conflict continues to rise, demands for an end to hostilities are increasing.

“Gaza is a situation of extreme urgency. There is danger of famine, there is danger of epidemic. The violence must stop,” said Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahabib, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the European Union.

“We demand an immediate ceasefire, the release of hostages, respect for international law, (and) a return to the peace process that should lead to the creation of two states living side by side in peace,” he said. The two-state solution was called “the only way to achieve lasting peace in the region.”

It appears Israel is far from achieving its goals of destroying Hamas and freeing the more than 100 hostages still held by Palestinian militias. But Netanyahu rejects the idea of ​​a Palestinian state and wants indefinite military control over the Gaza Strip.

The dispute over the future of the Palestinian enclave puts the European Union, the United States and their Arab allies at odds with Israel and poses a major obstacle to any plan for post-war reconstruction and governance in Gaza.

The EU invited the foreign ministers of Israel, the Palestinians, Egypt, Jordan and a representative of the Arab League to attend Monday’s talks. Israeli and Palestinian ministers did not plan to meet.

European ministers want to hear what other plans Israel may have.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who chaired the meeting, asked, “What other solutions do you have in mind?” “Abandon all Palestinians? Remove them?”

“Peace and stability cannot be achieved through military means alone,” he said.