EU Pushes Israel on Two-State Solution After Gaza War

AFP/APP
Brussels: EU foreign ministers on Monday pressed Israel for an eventual two-state solution with the Palestinians after the war in Gaza at meetings with the top diplomats from the two sides and key Arab states in Brussels.
The surprise Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 and the subsequent devastating military response from Israel have plunged the Middle East into fresh turmoil and sparked fears of a broader conflict but while the bloodshed appears to have driven a long-term solution further out of sight, EU officials insist the time is now to talk about finally resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The 27 EU ministers met first with Israel’s foreign minister, Israel Katz, before they were due to sit down separately with the Palestinian Authority’s top diplomat, Riyad al-Maliki.
The foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia were also holding talks with the European ministers.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has drawn condemnation from the United Nations and defied key backers in the United States by rejecting calls for a Palestinian state.
Israel’s assault on Gaza has left over 25,000 Palestinians dead, the vast majority women and children, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.