Excellencies,

Ministers,

Distinguished delegates,

Thank you for your continued partnership, and steadfast commitment to supporting Palestine and the Palestinian people during this very difficult period.

I thank the European Union and the Kingdom of Belgium for convening this important meeting at such a critical juncture.

I also wish to express my sincere appreciation to the Co-Chairs, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Kingdom of Norway, as well as to all participating states and institutions, for sustaining and advancing this important process initiated in September 2024 which led to the New York declaration at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2025.

I also wish to express our strong solidarity with our Arab partners who were subjected to Iranian attacks during the recent war, and our firm rejection of any violations of their sovereignty and security.

We gather at a moment defined by both immense tragedy and a narrow, but real opportunity, to move from war toward a just and lasting peace grounded in the two-State solution.

The lessons of recent years are clear. War has not produced peace. Siege has not produced security. Occupation has not produced stability. Forced displacement will not produce legitimacy. And annexation will never produce coexistence. Only a just political solution can do that.

Excellencies,

Dear friends,

We believe that the New York Declaration and United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803, provide us with a framework through which we can stabilize Gaza, restore governance, address the security needs of all parties, relaunch the Palestinian economy, and advance toward Palestinian statehood and independence based on the relevant UN resolutions.

In order to leverage this framework, and given the realities on the ground,

I will now discuss three interrelated priority areas: the situation in Gaza, the realities in the West Bank, and the institutional and security reform in Palestine.

let me begin with Gaza.

The guiding principle on Gaza must remain clear: Gaza is not a humanitarian file alone — it is an integral part of the State of Palestine.

The successful implementation of UNSC resolution 2803 must lead to the swift execution of the transitional arrangements that enable the full return of the Palestinian Authority to governing Gaza, and the institutional reunification of Gaza and the West Bank.

We stand ready to engage in the implementation of the transitional arrangements, in partnership with the Office of the Higher Representative – Board of Peace, as well as regional and international actors, in full alignment with international law. This includes re-establishing law and order, restoring essential services, and coordinating reconstruction efforts.

To support these efforts, we have established a dedicated Committee at the Prime Minister’s Office. It would serve as a central platform for coordination with the Office of the Higher Representative, ensuring alignment of international efforts, facilitating timely decision-making, enhancing implementation on the ground, and managing the handover of Gaza governance to the Palestinian Authority at the end of the transitional period.

A key pillar of this transition must be a comprehensive security framework. This should include the gradual and responsible collection of arms from all armed groups and build one security structure under the legitimate authority, through effective coordination between international security forces, Palestinian Authority security institutions, and other international actors.

Security must not be fragmented — it must be institutional, accountable, and rooted in the rule of law.

 

Turning to the security and economic situation in the West Bank.

We must be clear: The Palestinian Authority is being systematically undermined by Israeli policies and actions, especially on the security and economic fronts.

The continued escalation of violence, settlement expansion, and attacks by settlers, which continue with full impunity and, at times, with the support of the Israeli military establishment, are not only violations of international law, and of basic human rights; they also, fundamentally undermine the viability of the two-State solution.

These are not isolated developments, they reflect a deliberate trajectory that must be reversed.

The protection of Palestinian civilians is an urgent priority. We call for strengthened international mechanisms to ensure accountability and safeguard vulnerable communities.  Israel, as the occupying power, bears full responsibility for the protection of the Palestinian population and must take immediate steps to halt all unilateral measures that jeopardize peace.

Equally, the continued withholding of our clearance revenues and the restrictions imposed on our banking system by Israel; have created a deep fiscal and economic crisis, weakened our governance and institutional resilience, eroded public trust, and undermined the two-state solution. Israel’s illegal actions on the security, economic and financial fronts must be urgently and decisively addressed and without delay.

Let me now turn to the issue of Palestinian institutional and security reform.

Security is not achieved through force alone — it is built through strong and legitimate institutions. The Palestinian Authority has made significant progress in advancing its comprehensive reform agenda, particularly in strengthening the rule of law, enhancing transparency, and improving service delivery.

Our Security Sector Reform efforts, with the support of our international partners, are focused on building a professional, accountable, and civilian-controlled security apparatus. We are investing in policing, and in the justice system, to ensure that our institutions serve our people and uphold their rights.

These reforms are not theoretical—they are already underway. They reflect our commitment to good governance and to fulfilling the responsibilities of statehood. These reforms are not undertaken in isolation, they are part of preparing the Palestinian state to assume its full responsibilities.

We welcome the opportunity to draw on international experience in stabilization and post-conflict recovery. However, any successful security framework must be nationally owned, politically anchored, and aligned with the goal of ending the occupation and achieving independence.

In this context, we value the role of the European Union, the United States, other international partners, and their contributions to border management, rule of law, and institutional support. Such efforts are essential — but they must be part of a broader political strategy that leads to sovereignty.

 

Finally, Excellencies,

We must ensure coherence between immediate actions and long-term objectives.

Stabilization without a political pathway will not hold. Security without sovereignty will not endure.

The choice before us is therefore clear.

Security for future generations of Palestinians and Israelis cannot be separated from justice, dignity, and freedom.

A sustainable peace requires not only arrangements on the ground, but a clear and irreversible path toward ending the occupation and realizing the independent State of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The Palestinian people seek not only safety—but their rightful place among nations. Let us seize this moment not to manage the conflict, but to end it – justly, decisively, and once and for all, on the basis of justice and international law.

Thank you.