To start with a positive approach, we have to welcome the ceasefire in Lebanon. Now, strict compliance is necessary in order to allow us to refocus the situation in Gaza and look for a ceasefire in Gaza.

At the beginning, it was ceasefire in both places. Then, it has been in one of them. It is not a definitive solution. But I am coming from Lebanon. At least tonight, no more people will go to the hospitals in Beirut. At least tonight, there will not be more bombing, and no more people will have to go to a hospital. I’m visited some of the hospitals, and I can tell you it is not something easy to see.

I am very pleased that the attendance today shows that there is an ambition for the Global Alliance [for the implementation of the Two-State Solution] to work. Thank you for being here. Before we talk about the Two-State Solution, let me pause for a moment to reflect on the immensity of the suffering so close to all of us.

I had a long discussion, and you will have a long talk with him, with humanitarian responsible of the United Nations in Jordan [Muhannad Hadi], who stayed with me a whole afternoon. It would be something that you need to do, dear Hadja [Lahbib], quickly. He went into detail about what is going on there. How not to see, how not to agree that the basic humanitarian laws are being violated systematically?  Then you will hear the United Nations responsible telling you everything that goes into Gaza is being looted. And if by accident police comes, they are shot.  Two million people are being pushed North-South, South-North. They lack everything.

And since Monday, a couple of days ago, United Nations has not been able to provide assistance because there is no more fuel, there is no more food, in order to keep these people alive.  We need to address the underlying conflict. For that we need a ceasefire, [this is the] first step.

The following step is to look for political solutions to the occupation. This has always been my conviction and what we have been working [towards]. Peace has been a priority from the beginning of my mandate.  I have to say that I’m coming back home without a lot of success. The situation today is much worse than in the last five years.  During these years, we have built a strong relation with our peace-minded partners, which also laid the ground for this Global Alliance.

In [trying to resolve] this, the Middle East conflict [has not become] easier. It has become more and more difficult. Let’s look at reality in the face. The cost of no peace has become exorbitant. It has to be solved.  No other territorial dispute stirs emotions and fuels polarization across the globe – and in particular, inside our societies, inside European societies – as this conflict creates. No international conflict causes as much human suffering as we see in Gaza today.