An opinion piece analyzes the reasons behind the absence of a Palestinian state, attributing it to decades of failed opportunities and a tolerance for violence.

Azerbaijan has publicly declared its support for the establishment of a Palestinian state. This statement reflects Azerbaijan's diplomatic position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Egypt has ruled out "popular normalization" with Israel unless there is a just peace and the establishment of a Palestinian state. The Egyptian president called for an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.

Turkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated that Israel's inclusion in a proposed regional bloc, which could involve Pakistan, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Gulf states, and potentially Iran, is contingent on the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Saudi Arabia has reiterated that it will not normalize relations with Israel without the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

Foreign ministers from BRICS nations, meeting in New Delhi, set aside their differences to declare support for an independent Palestinian state, a move highlighted as significant in the context of the conflict.

The BRICS group of nations has issued a call for support for Palestinian statehood and independence.

The Swiss National Council has voted against recognizing a Palestinian state, citing concerns that such a move would run counter to Swiss neutrality.

In the second episode of a new series, reporter Matthew Cassel travels across the West Bank to document what daily life looks like under deepening Israeli occupation. In this episode he travels from Bethlehem to Nablus, to ask those living there if a Palestinian state is possible amidst an increasingly entrenched settler network. Continue reading...

Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis advocated for increased sanctions against Russia and a renewed push for Palestinian statehood during the European Union’s Foreign Affairs Council meeting, addressing global crises.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will visit New York on February 18 to participate in a high-level United Nations Security Council (UNSC) briefing on the situation in Palestine, the Foreign Office (FO) said on Tuesday. In a statement, the FO said that the meeting will be chaired by the United Kingdom’s foreign secretary as president of the UNSC. The statement said that during the briefing, Dar will reaffirm Pakistan’s “principled and consistent position on Palestine”. “He will reiterate Pakistan’s strong opposition of Israel’s recent illegal decisions to expand its control over the West Bank, emphasise the need for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, full implementation of Security Council resolution 2803, scaled-up humanitarian assistance, and the early commencement of Gaza’s recovery and reconstruction,” the statement said. “The deputy prime minister will also underscore Pakistan’s continued engagement with international and regional partners, including the group of eight Arab and Islamic countries and the United States, in support of a just and lasting peace, anchored in international law, leading to the realisation of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent, sovereign and contiguous Palestinian State based on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital,” the statement added. Separately, on the margins of the visit, Dar will hold bilateral meetings with counterparts to discuss matters of mutual interest, it concluded. The development comes as the foreign ministers of eight Muslim nations, including Pakistan, condemned the Israeli move to claim land in the occupied West Bank as “state property”. It should be mentioned that the same eight countries had worked with US President Donald Trump’s administration on a plan last year on a plan to end Israel’s genocide and invasion in Gaza. On Monday, Pakistan had released a separate statement condemning the Israeli move, calling on the international community to reject its actions.

Saudi Arabia has reportedly conditioned normalization with Israel on credible progress toward Palestinian statehood, a demand Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has rejected.

Miguel Baumgartner, an international relations expert, believes that a proposed peace plan for Gaza lacks viability, particularly due to its failure to include provisions for a Palestinian state.

Israeli Knesset member Gilad Kariv called for the establishment of a Palestinian state and accused the Prime Minister of 'building up' Hamas, also addressing criticism of illegal settlement outposts.

Azerbaijan's president has affirmed his country's support for the establishment of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. The statement was made during a meeting with the Palestinian Prime Minister, emphasizing strengthened fraternal ties.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated his stance that Israel's strong economy no longer requires US financial aid, describing it as 'social welfare' and stating his aim to gradually phase out the assistance over ten years, while also reaffirming opposition to Palestinian statehood.

Türkiye has pledged its ongoing support for the Palestinian cause until an independent, sovereign, and territorially contiguous Palestinian state is established along the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Pakistan has stated it will not join the Abraham Accords until a Palestinian state is established.

Israel has commenced the implementation of the controversial E1 settlement project in the West Bank, involving the demolition of Palestinian businesses to make way for Israeli homes, further jeopardizing the prospect of a Palestinian state.

A far-right Israeli lawmaker has proposed a bill aimed at canceling the 1993 Oslo Accords and blocking the establishment of a Palestinian state, while also seeking to expand settlements in the West Bank.

Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia appear to be forming a new regional power bloc, with Saudi Arabia reiterating its stance that it will not normalize ties with Israel before the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Motion A105 Zionism is Racism defines Zionism as racism, recognises its "continued harm to Palestinians," and would position the stance of the Green Party as anti-Zionist.

Nations consider that Israel's recent measures represent a “deliberate” and “direct” attack on the viability of the Palestinian state, as well as on the implementation of the two-state solution.

More than two years after Israel’s devastating war in Gaza began, the West Bank has become an increasingly volatile front in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. While international recognition of a Palestinian state has gathered momentum, the situation on the ground is moving in the opposite direction. Israel’s government has advanced new annexation legislation, settlement growth is accelerating, and daily life for Palestinians is becoming more restricted and precarious. In a new series, reporter Matthew Cassel travels through the West Bank to document what daily life looks like under deepening occupation. Starting in Hebron and moving north to Ramallah, villages outside the city, and finally Nablus, he meets people across generations to ask: what does the idea of a ‘Palestinian state’ mean today? Continue reading...

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that a Palestinian state would not be established under his leadership, and the Israeli army would not withdraw from Palestinian enclaves until Hamas disarms.

US attempts to increase access to critical rare earth minerals, particularly from an Australian mining company's processing plant in Malaysia, are encountering opposition from supporters of Palestinian statehood. The Pentagon recently signed a $96 million deal with the company.

Spain's victory in a recent event brought a moment of joy and distraction to many in the Gaza enclave, who supported Spain due to its recognition of Palestinian statehood.

During a visit to Vienna, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty stressed that there would be no peace in the Middle East without a Palestinian state, with conflicts from Gaza to Iran being central to discussions.

Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša is reportedly seeking to reverse the recognition of a Palestinian state and move the country's embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a significant departure from Slovenia's previous stance.

France's planned recognition of a Palestinian state in September 2025 was contingent on a promise to hold elections within 12 months, a commitment that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has reportedly failed to honor.

FM: Israel ties hinge on Palestinian state with 1967 borders  Hürriyet Daily News

Pakistan stated it is 'under no compulsion' to accept demands related to Trump's Abraham Accords proposal, reiterating that recognition of Israel remains tied to the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state.

Qatar's representative at the UN, Sheikha Alya, stated that recognizing the Nakba is essential for resolving the Palestinian issue and establishing an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Over 400 diplomats have urged the European Union to take immediate action against an Israeli plan for mass settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank. They warn that the project threatens the viability of a future Palestinian state.

Israel has begun re-establishing the Sa-Nur settlement in the occupied West Bank, which was evacuated in 2005, with a minister reiterating opposition to the creation of a Palestinian state.

A new Gallup survey indicates that 57% of Americans support the creation of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel, reflecting a significant shift in public attitudes.

Joint statement says Israeli land grab is 'deliberate and direct attack' on the viability of a Palestinian state.

In London, there is a new embassy of Palestine and the UK government recognises a Palestinian state. But where is that state in reality? It does not exist.

• Pakistan asks international community to reject provocative decision allowing takeover of occupied land as state property • EU calls annexation illegal, Arab nations denounce ‘threat to peace efforts’ • Israel imposes restrictions, deploys police around Al-Aqsa JERUSALEM / ISLAMABAD: As Pakistan denounced the latest Israeli move to convert areas of the West Bank into “state property”, the UN chief called upon Tel Aviv to reverse its new, “unlawful” policy allowing registration of the occupied land in the occupied territory as state property. Israel’s foreign ministry claimed the measure, approved late on Sunday, would enable “transparent and thorough clarification of rights to resolve legal disputes” but the move drew strong condemnations from across the globe for its violation of international law. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said this new measure was destabilising and unlawful, according to a statement by his spokesman Stephane Dujarric. Pakistan also denounced the step as a clear violation of international law as well as relevant United Nations Security Council and General Assembly resolutions. Islamabad urged the international community to reject the decision, said a statement issued by the For­eign Office spokesperson. It added that the occupying power continued to disregard international law and its provocative actions undermined the prospects for a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace in the region. “Pakistan calls on the international community to take concrete measures to end Israeli impunity, and ensure respect for international law,” the spokesperson added. ‘Undermine peace efforts’ Arab nations Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar and Jordan also criticised the move as illegal. The measure is “aimed at impo­sing a new legal and administrative reality in the occupied West Bank” that would undermine peace efforts in the region, Saudi Arabia’s foreign affairs ministry said in a statement. Jordan’s King Abdullah II said the actions “undermine efforts to restore calm and thr­e­aten to exacerbate the conflict,” according to a statement released by the royal court. The European Union called on Israel to reverse the move. “This constitutes a new escalation after recent measures already aimed at extending Israeli control,” EU foreign affairs spokesman Anouar El Anouni said. “We reiterate that annexation is illegal under international law.” The Ramallah-based Palest­inian Authority called for inte­r­national intervention to prevent the “de facto beginning of the annexation process and the undermining of the foundations of the Palestinian state”. Israeli anti-settlement watc­­h­dog Peace Now called the measure a “mega land grab”. Jonathan Mizrachi, the NGO’s co-director, told AFP that the move would attribute new resources for land registration. “There was a lot of ambiguity regarding the land, and Israel decided now to deal with it,” Mizrachi said, adding that the grey area over Area C land ownership was likely to be used against Palestinians. “A lot of land that Palestinians consider theirs, they will find out it’s not theirs under this new registration process,” he said, believing the move would further the Israeli right’s annexation agenda. Changing demography Palestinians see the West Bank as foundational to any future Palesti­nian state, but many on Israel’s religious right want to take over the land. The latest Israeli initiatives come in the wider context of increasing attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank, according to rights groups. “We are witnessing rapid steps to change permanently the demography of the occupied Palestinian territory, stripping its people of their lands and forcing them to leave,” UN rights chief Volker Turk said in a recent statement. US President Donald Trump has opposed Israel’s annexation of the West Bank, saying stability in the territory helps keep Israel secure. However, he has held off from dire­ctly criticising the new Israeli measures, despite the international outrage. Excluding Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, more than 500,000 Israelis live in West Bank settlements and outposts, which are illegal under international law. Around three million Palestinians live in the territory, which Israel has occupied since 1967. Al-Aqsa restrictions Israeli police said Monday that they would deploy in force around the Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramazan, as Palestinian officials accused Israel of imposing restrictions at the compound. Over the course of the month of fasting and prayer, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians traditionally attend prayers at Islam’s third-holiest site. Arad Braverman, a senior Jerusalem police officer, said forces would be deployed “day and night” across the compound, adding that thousands of police would also be on duty for Friday prayers. Braverman said police had recommended issuing 10,000 permits for Palestinians from the occupied West Bank, who require special permission to enter Jerusalem. The Palestinian Jerusalem Governorate said it had been informed that permits would again be restricted to men over 55. Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2026