Spain, Ireland, Norway condemn Rafah attack, push for 2-state solution

ISTANBUL

Israel’s Sunday attack on Rafah that killed at least 35 Palestinians further heightened tensions with Spain, Ireland, and Norway on Monday reiterating their announcement to recognize the state of Palestine.

The bombing on Sunday has been widely condemned by the foreign ministers of three European countries, underscoring the urgency for a permanent cease-fire and a two-state solution.

Addressing a joint press conference in the Belgian capital Brussels, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide emphasized the "binding" nature of the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) ruling, which ordered Israel to halt its offensive in Rafah.

He stressed that continuing warfare in Rafah constitutes "a breach of international law," highlighting the need for adherence to the ICJ’s "compulsory" measures.

"So it's a serious problem for all of us, because the impression created is that these norms do not apply to everybody, and many people will say that they do not apply to anyone. So, I think this is also standing up for the principles that we have agreed to in the world. Remember, the International Court of Justice is everybody's court."

According to the Norwegian minister, the discussions leading up to this decision included "a meeting between donors to the Palestinian Authority and the new Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa," who has been working towards improving "service delivery and governance," including the incorporation of Gaza into a more structured Palestinian administration.

Eide also stated they chaired a meeting with Prince Faisal, the foreign minister of Saudi Arabia, where they discussed "a regional peace plan" that includes "normalization between Saudi Arabia and other Arab states."

"That is the context in which Spain, Ireland, and Norway chose to recognize. We encourage other countries to do the same. We know that a number of European countries are either on the way to do so or contemplating, and we hope they will follow suit," he concluded.

Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin condemned the attack in Rafah, describing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as "barbaric" and urging Israel to cease its military operations immediately.

"Could I say that, first of all, again, all of this was predicted. All UN agencies and humanitarian groups that I met predicted that any military operation in Rafah would have dire consequences for the population in Gaza. And that is exactly what is happening right now."

He called for an "unconditional release of hostages" and a significant increase in "humanitarian aid to Gaza," reinforcing the importance of "multilateralism" and the "independence" of international legal institutions.

"So we're not going to be in any way sort of diverted away from the core objective of our decision to recognize the state of Palestine," Martin concluded.

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares also echoed these sentiments, criticizing the lack of "diplomatic courtesy" shown by Israel in their recent actions against European diplomats.

He reaffirmed the need for an immediate "cease-fire" and stressed the importance of upholding "international law."

"Yesterday's bombing is one more day with innocent Palestinian civilians being killed. This stresses what we have been calling the three of us, our three countries, for a long time, that it's an immediate cease-fire. But the gravity is even larger because it comes after a decision taken by the International Court of Justice that, once again, I want to recall, is binding and compulsory for all parties."

Albares also announced his intention to rally support from other EU nations to back the ICJ’s decision and take measures to enforce it if Israel continues to disregard the court’s ruling.

"Our objective is to recognize the state of Palestine tomorrow, make every possible effort to achieve a permanent cease-fire as soon as possible, and ultimately to reach that final peace," he concluded.

The coordinated recognition of the state of Palestine by Spain, Ireland, and Norway is seen as a significant step towards reviving efforts for a peaceful resolution in the Middle East.

The ministers collectively emphasized that this move aims to support moderate, non-violent forces and break the cycle of violence, promoting a future where both Palestinian and Israeli states can coexist peacefully.