Hussein Ibrahim Taha, the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), emphasised the importance of the global coalition for implementing the two-state solution.
The initiative, unveiled by Prince Faisal bin Farhan, the Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister, during a high-level meeting sponsored by the Arab-Islamic Ministerial Committee and the European Union (EU), aims to establish a political safeguard for the vision of two sovereign states under international law and the charters of the United Nations.
Hussein has called upon all nations to join this landmark political initiative, which represents a commitment to support efforts to end the Israeli occupation and establish a Palestinian state, thereby achieving fair, comprehensive, and lasting peace in the region.
Furthermore, the OIC official renewed his call for countries that have not yet recognised the State of Palestine to quickly join the international consensus of 149 countries that already recognize Palestine, and support its right to full UN membership.
The OIC’s move would bolster its legal and political standing and contribute to securing the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent and sovereign state along the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The World Bank has reported a dramatic 35% decrease in the real GDP of the Palestinian territories in the first quarter of 2024, marking it as the largest decline ever recorded.
The economic situation has severely deteriorated, with Gaza’s economy shrinking by 86% and the West Bank’s by 25% during this period. Unemployment has reached unprecedented levels, surpassing 50%.
The World Bank also forecasts a widening fiscal gap for the Palestinian Authority, expecting it to reach $2 billion in 2024—triple the gap from the previous year.
The report highlighted the cessation of commercial operations in Gaza, leaving families without income as the prices of basic goods skyrocket and inflation exceeds 250%.
