Joint Statement of Western Ministers of Foreign Affairs on
the Situation in Gaza and Two-State Solution

In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of 15 countries—including Australia, Canada, France, and others—condemned the October 7th Hamas terrorist attack as heinous and anti-Semitic, called for an immediate ceasefire and the unconditional release of all hostages, and reaffirmed their commitment to a two-state solution with Israel and Palestine coexisting peacefully. They emphasized the need to unify Gaza and the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority and expressed concern over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The ministers welcomed recent reform commitments by the Palestinian Authority and announced their countries’ recognition—or intent to recognize—the “State of Palestine” as a step toward peace. They also urged normalization of relations with Israel and pledged to help design a post-conflict framework that ensures Gaza’s reconstruction, Hamas’s disarmament, and its exclusion from future Palestinian governance.

Below is the full text of the statement.

We, Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Andorra, Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Slovenia and Spain,

Condemn the heinous and antisemitic terrorist attack of October 7th, 2023;

Demand an immediate ceasefire, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages of Hamas, including the remains, as well as ensuring unhindered humanitarian access;

Reiterate our unwavering commitment to the vision of the two-State solution where two democratic States, Israel and Palestine, live side by side in peace within secure and recognized borders, consistent with international law and relevant UN resolutions, and in this regard stress the importance of unifying the Gaza Strip with the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority;

Express grave concern over the high number of civilian casualties and humanitarian situation in Gaza and emphasize the essential role of the United Nations and its agencies in facilitating humanitarian assistance;

Welcome the commitments made by the President of the Palestinian Authority on June 10th where he (i) condemns the October 7th terrorist attacks (ii) calls for the liberation of hostages and disarmament of Hamas (iii) commits to terminate the prisoner payment system (iv) commits to schooling reform, (v) commits to call for elections within a year to trigger generational renewal and (vi) accepts the principle of a demilitarized Palestinian State;

Ahead of the meeting of the Heads of State and Government that will take place during the high-level week of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 80) in September 2025, we, Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Andorra, Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Slovenia and Spain,

Have already recognized, have expressed or express the willingness or the positive consideration of our countries to recognize the State of Palestine, as an essential step towards the two-State solution, and invite all countries that have not done so to join this call;

Urge countries who have not done so yet to establish normal relations with Israel, and to express their willingness to enter into discussions on the regional integration of the State of Israel;

Express our determination to work on an architecture for the “day after” in Gaza which guarantees the reconstruction of Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas and its exclusion from the Palestinian governance.

Source: “Joint Statement of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs,” Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations, (July 29, 2025).