“Israel must withdraw completely from the Gaza Strip and Hamas must relinquish its control over the strip and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority,” Mustafa said at a conference on the two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians at the United Nations in New York.

“All states have a responsibility to act now,” said Palestinian prime minister Mohammad Mustafa at the start of the meeting, calling for an international force to help underwrite Palestinian statehood.

He called for the world to recognise Palestinian statehood, while later demanding that Hamas surrender control of the Gaza Strip and its arms as part of a deal to end fighting in the territory.

‘There is no alternative to the two-state solution to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict’

There is “no alternative” to a two-state solution between Israelis and the Palestinians, France told a UN conference co-chaired with Saudi Arabia.

“Only a political, two-state solution will help respond to the legitimate aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security. There is no alternative,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said at the start of the three-day meeting.

Days before the conference, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that he would formally recognise a State of Palestine in September.