Lana Nusseibeh, Assistant Secretary of State for Political Affairs and the Secretary of State’s envoy to the European Union, recently called on Israel and the reformed Palestinian Authority to renew their commitment to a two-state solution. She reiterated the UAE’s call for an immediate ceasefire, unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid, unconditional release of hostages, and respect for international law. During a meeting of the European Union Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, she emphasized the UAE’s significant contributions to aid in Gaza and highlighted the need to lift restrictions on aid delivery and expedite aid processing to alleviate the suffering of civilians in the conflict.
Meanwhile, there are upcoming discussions between Israel and Egypt regarding reopening the Rafah crossing without Israeli military presence on the Palestinian side. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant expressed a willingness to reopen the crossing as long as Hamas does not control it. At the same time, there are efforts in Israel for early elections, while Slovenia is set to vote on recognizing the State of Palestine next week, following in the footsteps of other countries like Spain, Ireland, and Norway.
In another development, Israeli authorities have asked UNRWA to vacate its headquarters in East Jerusalem citing unauthorized use of property. UNRWA has been given a month to leave and pay back rent to Israel. These recent events reflect ongoing complexities and challenges in resolving conflicts related to humanitarian aid and diplomatic solutions.
