NEW YORK, United States
High-level representatives at a UN conference on Tuesday urged Israel to commit to a Palestinian state and gave "unwavering support" to a two-state solution.
The "New York Declaration" sets out a phased plan to end the nearly eight-decade conflict and the ongoing war in Gaza. The plan would culminate with an independent, demilitarized Palestine living side by side peacefully with Israel, and their eventual integration into the wider Mideast region.
The meeting is taking place amid the latest reports that starvation and famine are taking place in Gaza, and growing global outrage at Palestinians not getting food due to Israeli policies and practices, which Israel denies.
Planned for two days, the meeting was extended into Wednesday because representatives of about 50 countries have not spoken.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposes a two-state solution and has rejected the meeting on both nationalistic and security grounds.
U.S. President Donald Trump also said recognizing Palestinian statehood would be rewarding Hamas, a White House official told media.
Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon late Tuesday sharply criticized the some 125 countries participating in the conference, saying "There are those in the world who fight terrorists and extremist forces and then there are those who turn a blind eye to them or resort to appeasement."
The declaration's plan says conference co-chairs France and Saudi Arabia, the European Union and Arab League, and 15 countries that led the working groups agreed "to take collective action to end the war in Gaza."
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud urged the rest of the 193 UN member nations "to support this document" before the start of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in mid-September.
The declaration condemns "the attacks committed by Hamas against civilians" in southern Israel on October 7, 2023. It marks a first condemnation by Arab nations of Hamas, whose attacks killed about 1,200, mainly Israeli civilians, and whose militants took about 250 people hostage. Some 50 are still being held.
The declaration condemns Israel's attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in Gaza and its "siege and starvation, which have produced a devastating humanitarian catastrophe and protection crisis."
Israel's military operation against Hamas has killed over 60,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
The conference plan envisions the Palestinian Authority governing and controlling all Palestinian territory, with a transitional administrative committee immediately established under its umbrella after a ceasefire in Gaza.
It also supports deployment of "a temporary international stabilization mission" operating under UN auspices to protect Palestinian civilians, support the transfer of security to the Palestinian Authority and provide security guarantees for Palestine and Israel – "including monitoring of the ceasefire and of a future peace agreement."
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