Two-state solution the only way to bring stability for Israelis and Palestinians, says UK’s foreign secretary

The two-state solution is the only way to bring about security, stability and prosperity for Israelis and Palestinians, according to the UK’s Foreign Secretary James Cleverly. (AP/File)
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Updated 16 September 2023
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Two-state solution the only way to bring stability for Israelis and Palestinians, says UK’s foreign secretary

  • Cleverly: ‘It’s clear from my visit here to the Palestinian territories that Palestinians, particularly young Palestinians, need to have their voices heard’
  • ‘Unacceptable levels of violence and bloodshed’ in 2023, says minister

DUBAI: The two-state solution is the only way to bring about security, stability and prosperity for Israelis and Palestinians, according to the UK’s Foreign Secretary James Cleverly.
The minister reiterated the importance of the “two-state solution” and “the need for democratic renewal” during a recent visit to the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
In a 50-second video that the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office posted on X, Cleverly said: “It’s clear from my visit here to the Palestinian territories that Palestinians, particularly young Palestinians, need to have their voices heard.

 


“Since I’ve been here, I’ve had honest and insightful conversations with young Palestinians on the challenges that they face and also their aspirations. They are, of course, the future.”
He goes on to say that there have been “unacceptable levels of violence and bloodshed” in 2023.
Cleverly added: “I’ve seen firsthand the impacts, the positive impact of (the) UK’s support to Palestinian refugees … UK funding is helping to provide education for millions of children across the Middle East.”
Meanwhile, in another video that the foreign secretary shared on his X handle during a visit to Israel — in which there is an iron dome shown behind him — he said: “Its purpose is to destroy rockets that threaten Israel from groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.
“This is state-of-the-art technology, and it protects regional security and stability.”
He said that the UK understands the threat posed by Iran.
He is heard saying in the 46-second video: “In a world that faces increased threats from hostile actors, Israel’s security is our security.
“And a strong Israel is vital to the security of the region, which is in everybody’s interest.”

 


Strikes kill nine Iran-backed fighters near Iraq-Syria border: security officials

Updated 12 sec ago
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Strikes kill nine Iran-backed fighters near Iraq-Syria border: security officials

  • Iraqi authorities denounced the “blatant attacks” on bases that belong to the Hashed Al-Shaabi
  • Nine fighters were killed and another 10 wounded in the strikes

BAGHDAD: Air strikes killed at least nine Iran-backed fighters in Iraq on Thursday near the Iraqi-Syrian border, two senior security officials told AFP.
Iraqi authorities denounced the “blatant attacks” on bases that belong to the Hashed Al-Shaabi, a former paramilitary group now integrated into the regular army, which also encompasses brigades from Iran-backed armed groups.
Nine fighters were killed and another 10 wounded in the strikes that targeted a base housing the US-blacklisted Harakat Ansar Allah Al-Awfiya, two security officials said.
“The base was destroyed, and the rescue teams who arrived at the site were also targeted,” one of the officials said on condition of anonymity.
The base belongs to the Hashed Al-Shaabi or the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) whose positions have been repeatedly targeted in attacks blamed on the United States and Israel since the start of the war.
The PMF said nine of its members were killed in Thursday’s attack.
It accused the US of striking its sites, and said that these bases “had no role in targeting US bases in Iraq or elsewhere.”
The PMF added that “all fighters killed were carrying out their official duties, and some were stationed near the borders.”
And it called the Hashed Al-Shaabi an “essential part of Iraq’s security apparatus.”
Iraq has long been a proxy battleground between the United States and Iran, with the country’s successive governments struggling to balance relations between the two rivals.
It was immediately dragged into the Middle East war triggered when the United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a loose alliance of several Iran-backed groups, have been claiming daily attacks against US bases in Iraq.
Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani denounced what he called “blatant attacks” on the PMF, whose members were “performing their sacred duty within the missions of our security forces.”
“This systematic and repeated aggression, and the targeting of sites and headquarters without distinction, is not merely a military violation. It represents a desperate attempt to create confusion” and weaken Iraq’s security.