European Union鈥檚 foreign policy chief Josep Borrell speaks during a joint news conference with Lebanon鈥檚 caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib in Beirut, Lebanon January 6, 2024. REUTERS FILE PHOTO:
BRUSSELS 鈥� Israel鈥檚 plan to destroy Islamist Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza is not working and the European Union must pursue efforts to create a 鈥渢wo-state solution鈥� despite Israeli opposition, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Monday.
Israeli Prime Minister had on Sunday reaffirmed a hard line against any Palestinian state as it would pose 鈥渁n existential danger鈥� to Israel. He said Israel would keep insisting on full security control over all territory west of the Jordan River, which would include Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Borrell spoke at the monthly gathering of EU foreign ministers, attended this time by counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan and the Arab League secretary-general. The talks will focus mainly on the consequences of Hamas鈥� Oct. 7 attack on Israel and Israel鈥檚 retaliatory offensive in Gaza.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz and Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki were making separate appearances at the meeting, which was also taking stock of the war in Ukraine.
READ: Deaths mount and diplomats vie to stop Gaza war鈥檚 spread
Referring to Israel鈥檚 objective in its devastating three-month-old war in Gaza, Borrell told reporters: 鈥淭o say that destruction of Hamas is the aim is one-sided, because it means that it will be up to Israel to decide when they think (Hamas) has become weak enough. We can鈥檛 go on working like this.鈥�
Borrell said he wanted to press ahead with international efforts to create a process that would lead to a Palestinian state co-existing alongside Israel. The last talks to that end collapsed a decade ago amid mutual mistrust and intransigence.
Israel鈥檚 massive aerial and ground offensive in small, densely populated Gaza has killed more than 25,000 Palestinians, according to Hamas-run enclave鈥檚 health authorities, and displaced most of its 2.3 million people from their homes.
Israel has said the war could go on for 鈥渕any months鈥� and it would not rest until Hamas was eradicated, all Israeli hostages freed and the Gaza Strip posed no more security threat.
Ahead of the Brussels meeting, the EU鈥檚 diplomatic service sent a discussion paper to its 27 member countries, suggesting a roadmap to peace in the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
At the heart of the plan is a call for a 鈥減reparatory peace conference鈥� to be organized by the EU, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the League of Arab States, with the United States and United Nations also invited to be conveners of the gathering.
The conference would go ahead even if Israelis or Palestinians declined to take part. But both parties would be consulted at every step of the talks as delegates sought to draw up a peace plan, the document suggests.
The internal document, seen by multiple news organizations including Reuters, makes clear one key goal of a peace plan should be the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, 鈥渓iving side by side with Israel in peace and security鈥�.
EU officials concede that Israeli officials and diplomats currently evince no interest in the so-called two-state solution but insist it is the only option for long-term peace.
The Palestinian side is deeply split over the approach, with the Western-backed Palestinian Authority that exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank having negotiated with Israel, while the PA鈥檚 arch-rival Hamas is sworn to Israel鈥檚 destruction.
Netanyahu鈥檚 office said on Saturday after a phone call with U.S. President Joe Biden that Israel must retain security control over Gaza 鈥渢o ensure that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel, a requirement that contradicts the demand for Palestinian sovereignty鈥�.
The EU paper also suggests the peace conference participants should spell out 鈥渃onsequences鈥� for both sides, depending on whether they accept or reject a plan approved by the gathering.
It does not say what these consequences might be, although the EU has some areas of potential leverage.
The bloc is a major provider of economic aid to Palestinians and has a broad cooperation agreement with Israel that includes a free-trade area. Some officials have privately suggested the latter arrangement could be used to influence Israel.
鈥淎ll those who say they don鈥檛 want to hear about such a solution have not brought (up) any alternative,鈥� German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said.