The United Nations General Assembly is set to convene a conference on Monday to work towards a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians. The conference, which was postponed in June after Israel attacked Iran, aims to lay out the parameters for a roadmap to a Palestinian state while ensuring Israel’s security. France intends to recognize a Palestinian state in September at the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly, with France launching an appeal in New York to encourage other countries to join France in recognizing a Palestinian state. The conference comes as a 22-month war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza continues, with Hamas killing 1,200 people in southern Israel and taking 250 hostages. The U.S. will not attend the conference, describing it as a gift to Hamas, which continues to reject ceasefire proposals accepted by Israel. Israel is also not participating in the conference, as it doesn’t urgently address the issue of condemning Hamas and returning all of the remaining hostages. The U.N. has long endorsed a vision of two states living side by side within secure and recognized borders.
Ministers convene at the UN for a delayed meeting on Israel and Palestinians. Sac 872
