Former Palestinian and Israeli officials propose plan for two-state solution

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Former Palestinian Authority foreign minister Nasser Al Qudwa presented a proposal aimed at finding a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict during talks with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, with the terms of the plan agreed on with former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert.

Mr Al Qudwa and Mr Borrell met on Thursday to discuss the proposal signed in late July. Mr Al Qudwa, nephew of late Palestinian president Yasser Arafat, agreed to a two-state solution based on 1967 borders that was proposed by Mr Olmert during his time in office, between 2006 and 2009, Israeli media reported. The proposal includes land swaps to account for Israeli settlements and Jewish neighbourhoods in East Jerusalem, a Palestinian capital in Arab neighbourhoods in the area, and the administration of the Old City by a trusteeship of five states, including Israel and Palestine.

"Dialogue and compromise are the only way forward to break the current deadlock and achieve lasting peace and security for two states, Israel and Palestine," Mr Borrell said on X after the meeting.

The agreement also states 4.4 per cent of the occupied West Bank would be annexed by Israel, with some Israeli territory swapped in return, said a joint statement issued in July. The swaps would include a corridor linking Gaza and the West Bank. Mr Olmert and Mr Al Qudwa said there would need to be mutual agreement on the territory to be swapped, with security and practicality issued to be considered.

The plan also called for an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, where the war has killed more than 40,800 people, and stated that a Palestinian technocratic governing council linked to the Palestinian Authority would govern the enclave. Elections must be held in the West Bank and Gaza within 35 months and Palestine should become a non-militarised state, except for internal policing, under the terms of the proposal.

An Arab peacekeeping force, called the Temporary Arab Security Presence, would be established with the aim of stabilising Gaza and would work in co-operation with the Israeli military. All Arab neighbourhoods that were not part of Israel before 1967 will become part of Palestinian Jerusalem. A donors conference would be required to rebuild Gaza, with participation from wealthy countries, the July statement added.

Stalled ceasefire talks

Mr Al Qudwa held talks with Mr Borrell as the Gaza war rages on. The conflict began when Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's assault on the enclave has displaced almost the entire population of 2.3 million.

The US and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have been at odds over the prospect of reaching a ceasefire agreement. US National security spokesman John Kirby said on Thursday that only disagreements on “implementing details” of a ceasefire needed to be hammered out, but Mr Netanyahu has said it is “exactly inaccurate” to suggest an agreement is close.

Hamas, in a statement on Thursday, emphasised that Israeli forces must withdraw from the border area between Gaza and Egypt, known as the Salah Al Din or Philadelphi corridor. Mr Netanyahu has said pulling troops out of the area would allow for arms to be smuggled to Hamas. Israel and Hamas have also yet to agree on how many hostages would be released from Gaza in the first phase of a deal, as well as how many Palestinians would be freed from Israeli detention.