Five Arab countries are currently developing a plan aimed at ending the war in Gaza and paving the way towards the implementation of the two-state solution, a proposal currently rejected by Israel, according to a report from “The Wall Street Journal” citing Arab officials.
This proposal, which has been presented to Israel through the United States, represents the first joint initiative by Arab nations to end the conflict in the besieged Gaza Strip.
Saudi Arabia, one of the proposing countries, is offering to establish relations with Israel in exchange for the creation of a Palestinian state. This process, however, has been derailed, as reported by the newspaper, due to an attack led by Hamas on October 7.
The proposal is still undergoing final touches, according to Saudi and Egyptian officials, but has been rejected by the Israeli government so far, with the establishment of a Palestinian state being the main sticking point.
Israeli officials have not immediately responded to requests for comment, as reported by “The Wall Street Journal.”
This development comes amid a renewed wave of diplomatic activity by American and European officials seeking to halt the fighting.
Egyptian officials stated that Brett McGurk, Senior Advisor to U.S. President Joe Biden on Middle East affairs, arrived in the region on Monday to discuss the war and the fate of Israeli hostages, meeting Egyptian officials in Cairo before heading to Qatar.
In Brussels, the European Union’s top diplomat Josep Borrell led a group of foreign ministers who met with senior Arab officials, and separately, with Israeli Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz.
In the meeting with EU foreign ministers, participants said the sides spoke to each other. EU foreign ministers pressed for Israel’s plans regarding Gaza post-conflict and their approach to the two-state solution.
Katz did not address these issues significantly, instead presenting his counterparts with two video clips promoting potential projects to boost Gaza’s economy.
