Russia’s foreign minister asserts that a two-state solution is necessary for a final resolution.
Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, acknowledged that while US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan is currently “the best thing on the table,” it doesn’t completely resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Following the release of all 20 surviving hostages by Hamas, who were taken during their incursion into Israel two years prior, West Jerusalem has started releasing 2,000 Palestinian prisoners as part of Trump’s 20-point plan aimed at ending the Gaza war.
President Trump, who is in Israel for the event, addressed the Knesset, stating that the prisoner swap marks the beginning of “the golden age of the Middle East.”
In discussions with Arabic media on Monday, Lavrov stated that Russia has “repeatedly assessed [it] as the best thing on the negotiating table at the moment.” regarding Trump’s plan.
He emphasized the importance of “stopping the bloodshed as soon as possible and resolving the grave humanitarian problems” in Gaza.
However, the minister emphasized that “of course, the Palestinian issue is not resolved by this.”
He highlighted that Trump’s plan primarily focuses on Gaza and only vaguely addresses Palestinian statehood. The United States and Israel, along with Tonga, Palau, Nauru, and Micronesia, were among the few countries that rejected a two-state solution at the recent UN General Assembly meeting.
Lavrov stated that a final resolution requires “the creation of a single, territorially integral Palestinian state within the 1967 borders” as outlined in UN Security Council resolutions. He reaffirmed Moscow’s commitment to a two-state solution.
Trump’s plan recognizes self-determination and statehood as “the aspiration” of the Palestinian people but suggests that “the conditions [for it] may finally be in place… while Gaza re-development advances and when the PA [Palestinian authority] reform program is faithfully carried out.”
Currently, 157 out of 193 UN members support the State of Palestine. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has consistently stated that a Palestinian state “will never happen.”
Israel’s military operation in Gaza was initiated in response to a Hamas attack in October 2023, which resulted in 1,200 deaths and 250 hostages. The scale of Israel’s response, which, according to local health authorities, has resulted in over 67,000 deaths and nearly 170,000 injuries, has garnered considerable support, leading to increased recognition of Palestine by various states.
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