Palestine urges Netherlands to recognize Palestinian state

By Qais Abu Samra

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) - Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh urged The Netherlands on Thursday to recognize the Palestinian state and commended its efforts at the international level against Israeli settler violence, according to a statement by his office.

Shtayyeh made the remarks at a meeting with Dutch Foreign Minister Hanke Bruins in Ramallah on the central West Bank.

He also urged Bruins to "increase international pressure on Israel to immediately stop its aggression, and to open crossings to ensure the arrival of humanitarian aid in a sufficient manner" for Palestinians in Gaza.

The premier told the Dutch minister that Israel's policies serve Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s goal which is "undermining the possibility of establishing the Palestinian state."

"The political solution must be within the international frame, after the bilateral talks model has failed over 30 years," said Shtayyeh, referring to stalled Palestinian-Israeli negotiations, which completely collapsed in 2014.

Israel launched a deadly offensive against the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, killing at least 25,700 victims and injuring 63,740.

Nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.

The Israeli offensive has left 85% of Gaza’s population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar