BRUSSELS, Apr 20 : Over 60 nations sent representatives to Brussels today for holding talks with Palestinian officials on matters of stability, security, and long-term peace in Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza enclave, as global community’s attention remains fixed on the Iran war and the dire situation in Lebanon.
There has been renewed momentum in the European union to pressurise Israel over its military campaigns in West Asia, following the electoral defeat of former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orb n in Hungary, who had been a staunch supporter of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, and his policies in the region.
However, the new leadership in Budapest is substantially different from its predecessor, with the newly elected premier P ter Magyar, already suggesting that his stance on Israel would be different from the previous administration.
Jerusalem’s parallel conflict with Hezbollah militants in Lebanon which recently came to a halt, its month-long war with Iran, and the ongoing violence in the West Bank, along with the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is driving some European leaders to be much more critical of Netanyahu, with heads of state such as Spanish Prime Minister Pedro S nchez, pushing for sterner and more decisive action.
Ongoing attacks by Israeli settlers in the West Bank and continued devastation in Gaza have dimmed the prospect for a two-state solution, said Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Pr vot ahead of the meeting.
“We observe without naivety that the two-state solution is being made more difficult by the day,” Ms Pr vot said. “But Belgium and many European and Arab partners continue to believe that this remains the only realistic path to a lasting peace, for Israelis, for Palestinians and for the stability of the entire region.”
Nikolay Mladenov, the director of the Board of Peace created by US President Donald Trump, and a well-known figure in Brussels, also attended the meeting.
Palestinians residing in the West Bank have accused Israel of using its war with Iran and Lebanon as a cover to further tighten its grip over the territory, as increasing violence has been unfolding between the Israeli settlers and Palestinians, with the Israeli Defence Force imposing additional wartime restrictions on movement, citing security tensions.
(UNI)
Follow our WhatsApp channel
