Madrid Group condemns Israeli violations in Gaza, calls for ‘unconditional’ opening of border crossings

AMMAN — Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi joined a high-level ministerial meeting of the Madrid Group (Madrid +), hosted by Spain, to advance efforts toward implementing the two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

The meeting brought together the ministerial committee assigned by the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit, including Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud, Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Palestinian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed Mustafa, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aty, Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Hissein Brahim Taha, and Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Nuh Yilmaz, along with other Arab and European officials.

The talks in Madrid focused on the war in Gaza and the international efforts to end the worsening humanitarian catastrophe there, according to a Foreign Ministry statement. 

Ministers also discussed preparations for a high-level international peace conference, set to take place at the United Nations headquarters in New York in June. The conference is co-hosted by Saudi Arabia and France.

The committee members underlined the need for intensified cooperation to ensure the success of the upcoming conference aimed at pushing for a peaceful resolution to the Palestinian issue on the basis of the two-state formula, the statement said.

They called for establishing a Palestinian state on the pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, in line with international resolutions.

The ministers also expressed support for ongoing mediation efforts led by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States aimed at securing a ceasefire, releasing hostages and prisoners, and lifting the blockade on Gaza. They called for the immediate and unconditional opening of all border crossings to allow humanitarian, medical, and relief aid to reach civilians, according to the statement.

The committee condemned continued Israeli violations against civilians in Gaza and urged international accountability for breaches of international and humanitarian law.

They also underlined support for “early recovery and the reconstruction of Gaza, in line with the Arab reconstruction plan adopted at the Cairo summit. They also voiced support for Egypt’s upcoming international conference on Gaza reconstruction.