Palestinian state? Netanyahu’s position ‘disappointing’, says Shapps

EIn an interview with Sky News, Shapps said that for the UK there is “no other option” than a two-state solution to resolve the conflict in the region.

In the last few hours, Netanyahu has insisted that his plans for the future of the Gaza Strip after the hypothetical end of the war with Hamas involve taking full control of security in the enclave, a strategy that the British Prime Minister considered incompatible with the “Palestinian demands for sovereignty.

After regretting Netanyahu’s comment, Grant Shapps said that, regarding the existence of a Palestinian State, “there is no other option than that” and that “the whole world agrees that a two-state solution”, Israelis and Palestinians in coexistence. “It’s the best way to move forward,” he added.

In an interview with Sky News, the government official said that his country “certainly remains committed” to a two-state peace solution to resolve the situation.

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, which has ruled in the Gaza Strip since 2007, was triggered by the Islamist movement’s attack on Israeli territory on October 7.

That day, 1,140 people were killed, most of them civilians, but also close to 400 soldiers, according to the most recent official Israeli figures. Around 240 civilians and military personnel were kidnapped, with Israel indicating that 127 remain in the Gaza Strip.

In retaliation, Israel, which promised to destroy the Palestinian Islamist movement, has since been bombing the Gaza Strip, where, according to the local government led by Hamas, around 25,000 people have already been killed – mostly women, children and teenagers – and more injured. of 60,000, also mostly civilians.

The Israeli offensive has also destroyed most of Gaza’s infrastructure and close to two million people have been forced to leave their homes, almost all of the 2.3 million inhabitants of the enclave, controlled by Hamas since 2007.

The population of the Gaza Strip is also faced with an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, due to the collapse of hospitals, the outbreak of epidemics and shortages of drinking water, food, medicine and electricity.

Since October 7, at least 365 Palestinians have also been killed by the Israeli Army and by attacks by settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, territories occupied by the Jewish State, in addition to 5,600 arrests and more than 3,000 injuries.

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