Analysts on Friday warned that Israel's latest settlement expansion and rejection of Palestinian statehood mark one of the most dangerous moments for the Palestinian cause since the Oslo Accords were signed 32 years ago.
The Oslo Accords are a pair of interim agreements between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). The Oslo I Accord was signed in Washington, D.C., in 1993, and the Oslo II Accord was signed in Taba, Egypt, in 1995. They marked the start of the Oslo process, a peace process aimed at achieving a peace treaty based on Resolution 242 and Resolution 338 of the United Nations Security Council.
Analysts argued that by defying international law and disregarding global institutions, Israel is pushing forward a project that threatens to erase the Palestinian push for independence.
On Thursday, two days ahead of the 32nd anniversary of the Oslo Accords, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved plans to advance the controversial "E1" settlement project in the occupied West Bank, declaring there will be "no Palestinian state." The move has deepened international concern over the future of the two-state solution.
"The Oslo Accords, originally intended as a five-year interim agreement, were effectively nullified by Israel's repeated refusal to honor them. It is the Israeli government that ended the Oslo Accords. It has not only refused to implement the agreements, but also disregarded all documents of international legitimacy," said Wassel Abu Yousef, a member of the PLO's Executive Committee.
"Israel's actions show that it ignores the international community, international organizations, and (UN) Security Council resolutions, even considering itself above international decisions and institutions. We are facing what may be the most dangerous wave for the Palestinian cause and people. Israel is advancing a project of liquidation, attempting to completely erase the Palestinian people's dream of establishing a state," said Salah al-Hawaja, a Palestinian political analyst. Despite these challenges, the international community has continued to emphasize the two-state solution as the only viable path forward for resolving the Palestinian question.
On Friday, the ongoing 80th United Nations General Assembly endorsed the "New York Declaration" on the peaceful resolution of the Palestinian issue, reaffirming that the Israeli settlement activity violates international law and poses a serious obstacle to peace.
"What we need most now is an international agreement to save the two-state solution. The Palestinian people will not accept Israel's attempts to forcibly change reality through occupation, annexation, settlement expansion, and geographic fragmentation," said Dalal Salama, a member of the Fatah Central Committee.
Oslo Accords anniversary overshadowed by Israli settlement expansion, rejection of Palestinian statehood: analysts
