NEW YORK — France and Saudi Arabia will co-host a high-profile summit at the United Nations on Monday aimed at reviving the long-frozen two-state solution, as a surge of international recognitions for Palestinian statehood places new pressure on Israel, according to Al Jazeera News.
The gathering, taking place a day before the UN General Debate, comes amid warnings from diplomats that the very prospect of a contiguous Palestinian state risks “vanishing altogether” under Israel’s continued occupation of the West Bank and its military campaign in Gaza.
France is expected to formally recognize Palestine during the summit, while Belgium and other European nations are weighing similar moves. The event follows last week’s landmark decisions by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Portugal to extend recognition despite strong opposition from Israel and the United States.
Both Israel and Washington are boycotting the talks. Israel’s UN envoy, Danny Danon, dismissed the summit as a “circus,” repeating Israel’s charge that recognition of Palestinian statehood “rewards terrorism.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, under intense political pressure at home, has signaled that his far-right government may pursue annexation of parts of the West Bank in response. Israeli media report that Netanyahu is seeking U.S. backing while in New York for the UN meetings.
The summit is set to build on the “New York Declaration” adopted earlier this month, which outlined “timebound and irreversible steps” toward a two-state solution while condemning Hamas, urging it to disarm, and calling for the release of all hostages. The document also demanded a ceasefire in Gaza and unimpeded humanitarian aid deliveries.
French President Emmanuel Macron will attend in person, while Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is expected to join via videolink.
Meanwhile, Israel has escalated military operations in Gaza, where air and naval strikes over the weekend killed at least 25 members of a single family in Gaza City’s Sabra neighborhood. The Israeli army insisted its targets were “terrorist” sites even as civilian deaths mounted.
As global momentum for Palestinian recognition grows, the UN hopes Monday’s summit may provide a rare opening to reframe the decades-old conflict — even as Israel threatens moves that could extinguish the vision of two states altogether.
