European Council President Calls for Implementation of Gaza Roadmap
European Council President António Costa stressed the necessity of implementing the Gaza roadmap and maintaining the two-state solution, warning of deteriorating conditions in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Translated by Qiyas from كونا — Original source
Brussels, September 23 (KUNA) -- European Council President António Costa stressed on Wednesday the need for the full implementation of the roadmap for the Gaza Strip and the preservation of the two-state solution as the path to achieving peace in the region.
In a speech delivered during the high-level international meeting on the two-state solution and the comprehensive peace plan for Gaza, held on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, Costa noted that the situation on the ground has not seen significant improvement, despite the passage of one year since the adoption of the New York Declaration on the two-state solution and the UN Security Council’s adoption of Resolution 2803, which provided an implementation framework for the Gaza peace plan.
He said the time has come to fully implement the roadmap for the Strip, including dismantling the military capabilities of Hamas, coinciding with the withdrawal of the Israeli occupation and the deployment of an international force and police to restore stability, as well as the entry of the National Authority for the Governance of Gaza into the Strip.
Costa added that winter is approaching, while two million people face another winter in tents and among rubble, “not due to a lack of funds or aid, but because access to the Strip remains prohibited.”
Regarding the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Costa warned that the two-state solution is endangered daily, citing scenes and testimonies of settler violence, impunity, the displacement of entire communities, and the de facto annexation of land. He affirmed that settlements are illegal under international law, emphasizing the need to empower the Palestinian Authority through elections and the renewal of its legitimacy.
He pointed to the European Union’s strong support for these elections and its call on the Israeli occupation to facilitate their conduct, stating that the international community, in cooperation with the Palestinian Authority, needs to provide renewed hope to younger generations for a different future.
Costa clarified that the European Union and its member states strongly support the two-state solution through the Global Coalition, noting that the EU has been the largest donor to the Palestinians since the 1990s. He added that the EU’s two civilian missions in Rafah (EUBAM Rafah) and in the Palestinian territories (EUPOL COPPS) continue their work and play an important role, and that the EU is prepared to expand their mandates. (End) A.R.N. / T.A.B.
