R4 ministers condemn Israeli occupation, call for Palestinian state
Foreign ministers from Türkiye, Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have condemned the Israeli occupation, describing it as a primary source of instability in the region and beyond, according to a joint statement issued after their meeting in Istanbul.
The ministers, meeting under the R4 format, reaffirmed their commitment to diplomatic efforts aimed at promoting regional and international peace and stability in line with the principles and purposes of the United Nations Charter.
In the statement, they said Israeli policies had created a deep sense of injustice among the global public and called for the implementation of a two-state solution in accordance with relevant UN resolutions.
Ministers reaffirm Palestinian statehood
The four countries reiterated their support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including their inalienable right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent, sovereign, viable and geographically contiguous Palestinian state.
The proposed state would be based on the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, the statement said.
The ministers called for an immediate end to continued Israeli violence and attempts to alter the legal and historical status of Jerusalem.
They also urged an end to the destruction and humanitarian catastrophe in the Palestinian territories.
Call to halt settlement expansion and aid restrictions
The joint statement condemned past and ongoing Israeli settlement activities in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem, as well as violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians.
The ministers also stressed the urgent need to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian assistance to Gaza and accelerate efforts to rebuild the war-ravaged territory.
The statement underscored the four countries’ shared position that resolving the Palestinian issue in accordance with international resolutions is essential to achieving comprehensive peace in the Middle East.
Source:AA
