Remarks by Commissioner Šuica at the high-level conference on the two-state solution for Palestine

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.

Rountable of Working Group 8: Peace Supporting Package

Excellencies,

The European Union is honoured to lead, with our Arab League partners, the work on the ‘Peace Day Effort’.

By working together on the vision for the ‘day after’, we lay the ground for it to become a reality.

In my capacity as co-chair representing the EU, I will now report on the numerous contributions received and the working group’s conclusions, with three important measures that gathered positive feedback:

First, there is a clear need for a phased, conditional, and multidimensional actionable ‘Peace Supporting Package’.

This package would be rolled out immediately after an agreement on a negotiated two-state solution by the parties, grounded in international law.

Support to the Palestinian Authority is key.

The EU is already the largest assistance provider to the Palestinian Authority. I recently approved a €1.6 billion support package for 2025 to 2027, linked to structural reforms.

We offered concrete ideas to elaborate our long-standing offer to provide an unprecedented package of political, security and economic support to both parties.

I am currently working to set-up a Palestine Donors Group.

This Donors Group should serve as a forum to support the Palestinian Authority’s reform agenda.

A place where donors can follow the reforms carried out and exchange views on how best to support the Palestinian Authority as well as pledge their financial support.

It will also serve as a concrete instrument to facilitate discussions on the recovery and reconstruction of Gaza.

Second, we need to develop a regional security architecture for the Middle East.

All necessary security guarantees will have to be provided to the parties.

These will have to take into account sovereignty, as well as the legitimate security concerns of Israel that cannot and must not be ignored.

The full respect by all actors of international law is a must, including international humanitarian law and International human rights law .

I also want to underline  that many Member States have mentioned the possibility of an OSCE-inspired regional security model, or other regional integration initiatives.

Third, this conference must mandate a follow-up mechanism, to implement its agenda.

The Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution stands out as an existing mechanism, open to all and fit for purpose.

It already includes more than 100 states and international organisations.

The EU and the League of Arab States are encouraging all states to actively take part in this Alliance. 

It appears best suited to take forward the important work initiated in the eight working groups. 

Excellencies,

In my capacity as representative of the European Union, I must reiterate the Union’s unwavering commitment both to peace and to the two-state solution.

We are already doing much to achieve these goals.

In simple terms we are keeping the Palestinian Authority from financial collapse.

And we have stepped up our engagement to reach a ceasefire and improve access for humanitarian support.

Regarding the humanitarian situation in Gaza, we have laid a framework to allow goods to enter Gaza to stop civilians suffering. But the framework was only partially implemented, due to inability to distribute the goods in a safe and organised environment. We expect that Israel will cooperate to ensure humanitarian aid delivery.

We are fully committed to achieving lasting peace in the region, and supportive in accordance with international law, of the two-state solution.

We want to see Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security within recognised borders.

Thank you.

***

Plenary session

Excellencies,

I salute the historic initiative of United Nations General Assembly, under the co-chairmanship of France and Kingdom or Saudi Arabia to convene this conference.

The European Union is fully committed to achieving lasting peace in the Middle East region – our immediate neighbourhood.

We support the two-state solution in accordance with international law.

We want to see Israel and Palestine living side by side – in peace and security within recognised borders.

 Let me first address the situation in Gaza

Since the 7 October terrorist attacks on Israel, the world has been witnessing an unprecedented tragedy.

The European Union continues to call for a ceasefire, the release of all hostages, a swift flow of humanitarian aid and the disarmament of Hamas.

We appreciate the mediation activities from Egypt, the United States and Qatar.

We are also acting: only in 2025, the EU has committed €170 million in humanitarian assistance for Palestine. This brings the total EU humanitarian aid provided to €500 million since 2023.

Beyond funding, we have also transported humanitarian cargo through ReliefEU and supported medical evacuations through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.

But this is not enough. EU agreement with Israel on humanitarian access to Gaza was an important step but it needs to be fully and swiftly implemented.

Israel should lift its blockade on Gaza.

Not only do we need more trucks, more crossing points, and more fuel. The security situation at border crossings must be guaranteed so that aid can enter, be offloaded to reach the people in need.

We need a safe and unhindered distribution!

My second message is – we must support the Palestinian Authority:

The Two-state Solution can only be achieved with a reformed and revitalised Palestinian Authority.

We have been a long-term partner in delivering concrete and wide-ranging support to the Palestinian Authority and its reform agenda.

I am pleased to inform you today that the Palestinian Authority has already delivered on key milestones.

This is a strong signal of commitment amid increasingly difficult conditions.

We welcome the announcement of presidential and general elections within a year across the Palestinian territory and for that purpose passing the expected party law.

On my end, I am proud to underscore that the European Union will support the Palestine Authority to the level of €1.6 billion for the next three years.

In June, we already disbursed €202 million for food, salaries and hospitals, also linked to structural reforms.

Two weeks ago, the European Investment Bank has approved €400 million in loans.

This will benefit Palestinian entrepreneurs and private business in dire need of liquidity.  

But the needs are vast. We need to do more.

I am therefore calling on all of you to join our efforts in providing reform-based and at-scale support to the Palestinian Authority.

To facilitate this task, I am currently working to set-up a Palestine Donor Group within the coming months.

This is a forum where the Palestinian Authority would present its reform progress to donors and where financial support can be coordinated.

When speaking about support to the Palestinian Authority, Israeli cooperation is crucial.

The release of withheld funds and the regular and predictable transfer of clearance revenues by Israel is imperative.

In the absence of these urgent payments, the Palestinian Authority risks being effectively paralysed within a few months.

We will continue to work with Israel for that purpose.

We also need to look ahead and think about reconstruction:

We are ready to provide further assistance when conditions are met, and we welcome efforts in this direction of the Arab Plan for Gaza Reconstruction.

We stand ready to facilitate discussions on the day after the ceasefire. We could do this with our partners in particular in the context of the mentioned Palestine Donor Group, and contribute on all issues, security, stability, governance, and support the Palestinian Authority’s role in Gaza.

Let me reiterate: The only horizon is political and is the two-state solution.

It should be absolutely maintained and the European Union is taking concrete steps to prevent any undermining actions.

Recognition of a Palestinian State is not a prerogative of EU but of its Members States but we will continue to support PA in its ambition to exert the abilities of a State.

There should be no impunity to settlers’ violence against Palestinian civilians.

We have sanctioned violent settlers twice and are examining a third package of sanctions.

Alongside a Palestinian State we need a safe state of Israel.

There can be no compromise on this.

Terrorism cannot prevail.

Hamas must be fully disarmed and cannot be part of any solution in Gaza. 

The European Union has welcomed the Abraham Accords as a positive development for regional stability and cooperation; they contribute to the security of Israel.

Concrete commitments to regional integration and the regional security architecture are part of the ‘unprecedented peace package’ that the European Union and the Arab League have co-chaired in the context of this conference.

Civil society should be fully associated as it has a fundamental role to shape a new narrative, fight incitement and promote dialogue. We need also to hear the voice of women more. EU is working in support of these efforts.

This conference is about taking concrete steps forward.

In fact, there is already a follow-up mechanism in place, to implement the concrete action-agenda – the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution.

And we should mandate the Global Alliance to do so.

The European Union remains available and ready, as a neighbour and a major partner to both Israel and the Palestinian Authority, to work actively to end the war and towards the Two-State Solution.

Thank you.