Necva Tastan Sevinc
30 July 2025•Update: 30 July 2025
ISTANBUL
Fifteen countries, including Finland, Canada, Australia, and several European states, have signed a joint declaration led by France, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages held by Hamas, and a renewed international push for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“We, Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Andorra, Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Slovenia, and Spain, reiterate our unwavering commitment to the vision of the two-state solution,” the French Foreign Ministry said on late Tuesday.
According to the statement, the signatories underlined that two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, must coexist peacefully within secure and internationally recognized borders, in line with international law and relevant UN resolutions.
They also stressed the importance of unifying the Gaza Strip and the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority.
The signatories “express grave concern over the high number of civilian casualties and humanitarian situation in Gaza and emphasize the essential role of the United Nations and its agencies in facilitating humanitarian assistance.”
The ministers welcomed commitments made by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on June 10, noting that he “(i) condemns the October 7th terrorist attacks, (ii) calls for the liberation of hostages and disarmament of Hamas, (iii) commits to terminate the prisoner payment system, (iv) commits to schooling reform, (v) commits to call for elections within a year to trigger generational renewal, and (vi) accepts the principle of a demilitarized Palestinian State.”
“We… have already recognized, have expressed or express the willingness or the positive consideration of our countries to recognize the State of Palestine, as an essential step towards the two-state solution,” the statement read.
“We invite all countries that have not done so to join this call," the statement said.
They also encouraged states to strengthen ties with Israel, urging them “to establish normal relations with Israel, and to express their willingness to enter into discussions on the regional integration of the State of Israel.”
“We express our determination to work on an architecture for the ‘day after’ in Gaza which guarantees the reconstruction of Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas and its exclusion from the Palestinian governance.”
According to the latest figures released by the Health Ministry, at least 1,179 people were killed and over 7,950 injured by Israeli army fire while seeking aid in the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli army, rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing more than 60,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave and led to food shortages.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
