NEW YORK — The co-chairs of the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution reaffirmed their commitment to establishing an independent Palestinian state and warned against developments on the ground that threaten the viability of the two-state solution.The statement was issued following a ministerial meeting held on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, one year after the adoption of the New York Declaration.The meeting was attended by the Palestinian prime minister, representatives of nearly 100 countries and organizations, and the High Representative of the Gaza Board of Peace.The co-chairs said the two-state solution remains the only internationally agreed path that guarantees the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination, provides lasting security for Israel and establishes peace across the region.They said international consensus behind the solution was stronger than it had been in years, despite growing threats to its prospects.The statement expressed deep concern over developments undermining the foundations of a two-state solution, including settlement expansion, particularly the E1 plan, demolitions, policies of forced displacement and annexation or threats of annexation, and what it described as unprecedented settler violence.The co-chairs said such actions threaten the unity and territorial contiguity of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. They called for an end to these measures, accountability for settler violence and preservation of the historical and legal status quo at holy sites in Jerusalem.The alliance reaffirmed its vision of “one Palestine, two states, a region at peace,” stressing that Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, constitute a single Palestinian territorial unit and that the occupation must end.It reaffirmed the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and to an independent, sovereign, democratic, contiguous and viable state living alongside Israel in security and peace on the basis of the 1967 lines, in accordance with international law and relevant UN resolutions.The statement said resolving the Palestinian issue is the foundation for regional peace and integration, based on the Arab Peace Initiative, the New York Declaration and the Comprehensive Peace Plan.The co-chairs said the New York Declaration, the Comprehensive Peace Plan and UN Security Council Resolution 2803 reinforce one another.They stressed that Gaza cannot have a separate political future and that transitional arrangements must ultimately reunify the territory with the West Bank under a single legitimate Palestinian government.The alliance expressed support for the Board of Peace, the Office of the High Representative, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza and the International Stabilization Force in carrying out their respective mandates.It called for consolidating the Gaza ceasefire, the disarmament of Hamas and all armed groups, and a complete Israeli withdrawal through credible and verifiable implementation.The co-chairs also called for support for transitional security arrangements, including the International Stabilization Force and the training of a vetted Palestinian police force.They urged the rapid, safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance throughout Gaza, particularly through the United Nations and its agencies, including the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).Early recovery and reconstruction should begin immediately with coordinated and reliable financing, the statement said.The alliance also expressed concern over financial and institutional pressures facing the Palestinian Authority, calling for its financial sustainability to be preserved, including through the release of all withheld clearance revenues.It backed Palestinian-led reform and institutional renewal, including through elections, and called on all parties to facilitate the holding of future national elections. Donors were also urged to provide direct assistance to support the Palestinian Authority.The co-chairs rejected terrorism and incitement, stressing that the conflict is political and regional and should not be portrayed as a religious conflict.They said religious leaders and communities could contribute to coexistence, human dignity and peace while preventing extremists from exploiting religion to justify terrorism, violence, exclusion or domination.The alliance reaffirmed its commitment to international law, relevant UN resolutions and the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion of July 19, 2024, and said it would continue supporting national commitments and measures undertaken within the framework of the New York Declaration.In its concluding message, the alliance told Palestinians that its commitment to their statehood remained firm and that Gaza would not be separated from the West Bank.Addressing Israelis, it said obstructing the two-state solution would not deliver lasting security and that a peaceful future alongside an independent Palestinian state remained possible.The alliance urged the international community to act to preserve the two-state solution and translate it into reality on the ground, warning that failure to do so risked further undermining its foundations.
