Madrid: Ministers from Muslim-majority and European countries, alongside the European Union’s foreign affairs chief, gathered in Madrid on Friday to discuss advancing the two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Hosted by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares, the meeting sought to identify concrete actions to progress towards a peaceful and just resolution in the Middle East. Sanchez emphasized the need for decisive international efforts to achieve lasting peace.

Attendees included Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa and foreign ministers from Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey—members of the Arab-Islamic Contact Group for Gaza—as well as officials from the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

The EU was represented by its foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and the foreign ministers of Ireland, Norway, Slovenia, and Spain. Albares reiterated that the two-state solution is the only viable way to ensure a peaceful coexistence between Israel and Palestine.

Israel was notably absent from the meeting, as it was not part of the Arab-Islamic Contact Group or the European bloc. However, Albares expressed hope that Israel would engage in future discussions.

The talks come amid heightened international calls for a two-state solution following the ongoing war in Gaza, which began with Hamas’s attack on Israel in October. Prime Minister Sanchez has been one of Europe’s most vocal critics of Israel’s offensive in Gaza.