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- Participants are engaging in discussions ‘disconnected from reality’ instead of ‘demanding the release of the hostages and working to dismantle Hamas’ reign of terror,’ he says
- Israel and the US boycott the 2-day conference, co-chaired by ֱ and France, which began on Monday at the UN’s HQ in New York
NEW YORK/LONDON: Ahead of an international conference on a two-state solution to the conflict between Israel and Palestine, Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, told reporters on Monday that the summit “does not promote a solution, but rather deepens the illusion.”
Formally titled the High-Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, the two-day event began on Monday at the UN headquarters in New York, co-chaired by ֱ and France. With humanitarian experts warning that Gaza is on the brink of famine, the summit has been described as urgent and long overdue.
But Danon said: “Instead of demanding the release of the hostages and working to dismantle Hamas’ reign of terror, the conference organizers are engaging in discussions and plenaries that are disconnected from reality.”
Jonathan Harounoff, the international spokesperson for Israel’s mission at the UN, confirmed that his country would not participate in any conference that “doesn’t first urgently address the issue of condemning Hamas and returning all of the remaining hostages.” The US also boycotted the event.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for whom the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant in November in connection with its investigation into war crimes during Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, said the international conference “rewards terrorism” and accused France of helping to legitimize what could become “an Iranian proxy state.”
The UN’s humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, on Sunday warned that the situation in Gaza was dire, with widespread hunger, children wasting away and people risking their lives in their attempts simply to obtain food.
While recent moves by Israeli authorities to ease restrictions and allow more aid into the territory represented a step forward, he said, it was not enough. Vast quantities of aid, safe access routes, consistent supplies of fuel, efforts to protect civilians, and an immediate ceasefire are urgently needed to prevent further catastrophe, he added.