The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and France, co-chairs of the High-level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine, issued a joint statement on Monday urging an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and reaffirming international commitment to the two-state solution.
The conference, held at United Nations headquarters in New York on September 22, culminated in the adoption of the New York Declaration, endorsed by the General Assembly with an overwhelming majority of 142 votes. The declaration lays out what the co-chairs described as an “irreversible pathway” toward the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state alongside Israel.
“The situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate with the intensification of the Israeli ground offensive in Gaza City,” the statement warned, adding that civilians and hostages were bearing an “unjustifiable price” from the ongoing conflict. The declaration, it said, offered a principled yet realistic alternative to the recurring cycle of violence.
The joint statement welcomed recent recognition of Palestinian statehood by countries including Australia, Belgium, Canada, Luxembourg, Portugal, the UK, and several others, alongside France. It urged remaining nations to follow suit, stressing that global recognition was a crucial step toward lasting peace.
Calling the end of the Gaza war and the release of all hostages its “absolute priority,” the co-chairs demanded a permanent ceasefire, a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, a prisoner exchange, and unrestricted humanitarian access across the enclave.
As part of the post-war vision, the statement proposed deploying a temporary international stabilization mission, mandated by the UN Security Council, at the request of the Palestinian Authority. It also pledged expanded support for training and equipping Palestinian security forces, building on existing international programs.
The co-chairs emphasized the need to reunify Gaza and the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority, commending President Mahmoud Abbas for his commitments to governance reforms. They also welcomed the creation of an Emergency Coalition for Palestine to mobilize budgetary support, and called on Israel to release withheld Palestinian tax revenues.
On Israel, the statement issued a clear appeal for restraint, urging its leadership to commit publicly to a two-state solution, halt settlement expansion, land seizures, and annexation activities. It identified Israel’s controversial E1 settlement project as a first step to be rescinded, warning that any form of annexation was a “red line” for the international community with “serious consequences.”
The statement concluded that ending the occupation and achieving a just and lasting peace, in line with UN resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative, remained the only path to full regional integration, stability, and mutual recognition. “We call on all states to join this international momentum to ensure peace and security for all in the Middle East,” it said.
