Riyadh: Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez meets with Joint Arab-Islamic Committee on Gaza
In a gathering held in Madrid, Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez engaged in discussions with the members of the Joint Arab-Islamic Ministerial Committee on Gaza. The committee, led by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, aimed to address the current situation in the besieged Gaza Strip. The meeting witnessed the presence of foreign ministers from Qatar, Palestine, Jordan, and Turkey, along with the secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
The committee members commended Spain’s recent decision to recognize the State of Palestine. They pledged to continue advocating for Palestinian rights and advancing peace efforts in a time marked by extremism, violence, and violations of international law.
With over 140 countries recognizing a Palestinian state, including recent additions like Spain, Norway, and Ireland, the meeting emphasized the need to halt Israeli aggression in Gaza and Rafah. Immediate ceasefire implementation and sustainable humanitarian aid provision were also key points of discussion.
The committee called for an end to unlawful Israeli actions in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, to pave the way for comprehensive peace, safeguard Palestinian rights, and ensure regional stability. Efforts to support Palestinian statehood and enact the two-state solution based on the Arab Peace Initiative were reviewed during the meeting.
Emphasizing the urgency of global recognition of Palestine to uphold the rights of its people and ensure regional security, Prince Faisal expressed gratitude towards Spain for its supportive stance. He highlighted the importance of Spain, Norway, Ireland, and Slovenia’s decisions in shedding light during challenging times and fostering hope for a peaceful coexistence through a two-state solution.
As Prince Faisal remarked, “This is the right moment to give a beacon of hope to the two-state solution, to peace, to coexistence and for that we thank you and we hope that others will follow suit because the only way forward is the path to peace and the path to peace goes through a two-state solution, through a state of Palestine that lives in peace and harmony with all its neighbors including Israel.”