Firmly, European Union Foreign Policy Chief Wants a Two-State Solution to the Palestine-Israel Crisis

Josep Borrell. (Source: Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

JAKARTA - The European Union's top diplomat voiced his concern about the situation in the Gaza Strip, Palestine, saying he was reluctant to discuss peace issues, but emphasized that he wanted a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Speaking ahead of a meeting of foreign ministers from European Union member states, Josep Borrell said the humanitarian situation in Gaza, the region where Israel has launched an offensive against the Hamas militant group, is very bad.

"From now on I will not talk about the peace process, but I want a two-state solution process," stressed Borrell, reported by The Times of Israel from Reuters, January 22.

The foreign ministers of European Union (EU) member states are scheduled to hold separate talks with their Palestinian and Israeli counterparts today, discussing the peace process after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected calls for the creation of a Palestinian State.

The 27 EU ministers will first meet Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz before sitting separately with the Palestinian Authority's top diplomat, Riyad al-Maliki. Katz and Maliki themselves are not expected to meet each other.

Katz and Maliki will also address separately at a meeting of the European Union's Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels later today, which will also be attended by their counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, and the Secretary General of the Arab League.

On this occasion, Borrell will present a ten-point peace plan between Israel and Palestine.

In a letter to member states, Borrell wrote his roadmap would "outline, with practical proposals, based on agreed principles that only a political, sustainable and long-term solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will bring peace and stability to both peoples in that region."

Meanwhile, according to Euronews, Borrell's plan calls for full normalization between Israel and Arab countries would create an "initial framework" for Israeli-Palestinian peace within a year. There would be "robust security guarantees" for both countries, and the agreement would be "conditional on full mutual diplomatic recognition and integration of Israel and Palestine in the region."

It is known that the Gaza Ministry of Health said on Sunday that the death toll from Israeli attacks on the territory had reached 25,105 people, the majority of whom were women and children, killed and 62,681 others, since the Hamas-Israel conflict broke out on October 7.