Denmark says 2-state solution only option to secure peace for Israel, Palestine

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AA) – Denmark on Friday reiterated that a two-state solution is the only option to secure peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians.

"Dialogue with perspectives from both European, Arab and Muslim countries is key to find solutions in Gaza," said Foreign Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen after meeting his counterparts in Oslo to discuss the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza.

"The two-state solution remains the only viable option to secure lasting peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians," he said in a statement.

Denmark’s policy statement on the two-state solution came in the backdrop of the comments of the UK foreign secretary who described in an interview where the Israeli ambassador to Britain expressed her opposition to a two-state solution as "disappointing."

Rasmussen met with his counterparts from Middle East, Nordic region and Benelux countries and held a high-level meeting on Gaza in Oslo. The meeting was organized in response to a request from the Saudi foreign minister, who heads a ministerial committee, which was appointed by the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit in Riyadh on Nov. 11, said a statement issued by Norway’s Foreign Ministry.

Israel has bombarded the Gaza Strip from the air and land, imposed a siege, and mounted a ground offensive in the wake of a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7. At least 18,787 Palestinians have since been killed and nearly 51,000 injured in the Israeli onslaught, according to Gaza’s health authorities.

Denmark and Norway have called for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza because of the escalating catastrophic situation.