Shtayyeh: No political process without clear ceiling to end of occupation

Palestinian Prime Minister, Mohammad Shtayyeh, said yesterday that a political process is not possible without a clear end to the occupation, calling for Palestine to be recognised as a full member state in the UN.

This came during his meeting with Norwegian Foreign Minister, Espen Barth Eide, at the headquarters of the Munich Security Conference, according to a statement issued by Shtayyeh’s office.

Shtayyeh spoke about “the impossibility of returning to a political process without a clear ceiling [to end the occupation], especially with the absence of a partner in Israel.”

“We need the recognition of the [Palestinian] state, full membership in the UN, and a UN resolution with a programme to end the occupation,” he added.

The officials discussed international efforts to immediately stop the aggression against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank. They warned that any Israeli invasion of the city of Rafah would have catastrophic consequences after most of the Gaza Strip’s residents were forced out of their homes and moved there.

Read: 2-state solution should move past talk into implementation, says Palestinian premier

The Palestinian prime minister called for a “stronger” international stance to prevent this from happening.

Shtayyeh said that the priority is “to stop the aggression against our people in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, and to open all crossings to bring aid into Gaza in a way that meets their needs.”

He called on Norway, as chair of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC), the international donor group for Palestine, to “lead a European effort to recognise the State of Palestine, especially given that a number of countries are becoming convinced of the need for recognition as the start of a political path.”

He also called for “taking concrete steps towards imposing sanctions on Israel for its continued aggression, colonialism and occupation, and towards boycotting settlements and settlers.”