Spain to Host Meeting of European and Muslim Countries on Palestinian Statehood, According to Reuters

MADRID/OSLO (Reuters) – Foreign ministers from various Muslim and European nations are set to convene in Madrid on Friday to explore ways to implement a two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as announced by the Spanish and Norwegian governments.

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares will preside over the gathering, which will feature participation from his European counterparts, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, and members of the Arab-Islamic Contact Group for Gaza.

The two-state solution, initially proposed during the 1991 Madrid Conference and reaffirmed in the 1993-95 Oslo Accords, has long been viewed by the global community as the most viable resolution to the protracted conflict. However, the peace process has been stagnant for several years.

The ongoing conflict has been intensified by an 11-month-long war in the Gaza Strip involving Israel and Palestinian militant groups, particularly Hamas—the deadliest phase of this longstanding struggle—alongside increasing violence in the occupied West Bank.

On May 28, Spain, Norway, and Ireland formally recognized a unified Palestinian state governed by the Palestinian Authority, encompassing both Gaza and the West Bank, with East Jerusalem as its capital. This recognition brings the total count of United Nations member states acknowledging Palestinian statehood to 146 out of 193.

Albares previously led a diplomatic meeting with the Gaza Contact Group on May 29, where participants discussed actionable steps toward realizing the two-state solution.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has consistently emphasized the notion of two sovereign states existing on the territory of former Mandatory Palestine as the only feasible path to achieving peace in the region.

The West Bank and East Jerusalem have been under Israeli occupation since the 1967 Middle East war, with the expansion of Jewish settlements further complicating the situation. Israel’s annexation of East Jerusalem in 1980 remains largely unrecognized internationally.

Israel underscores the importance of security guarantees in any future arrangements.

In a recent interview, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide confirmed that Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa would also be attending the Madrid meeting.

Barth Eide noted that key issues include the “actual establishment of the Palestinian state or a credible pathway to it” and the strengthening of Palestinian institutions. Other critical matters involve the demobilization of Hamas, which ruled Gaza before the recent war, to diminish its role as a military entity.

The normalization of relations between Israel and several nations, particularly Saudi Arabia, also holds significance for Israel, he added.

The Gaza Contact Group, launched by the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, consists of countries such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Turkey.