Calling the ongoing Israel-Hamas war worrisome, Lebanese Ambassador to India Rabie Narsh said that the two-state solution is the only way to end the conflict.
Speaking to NDTV, Dr Narsh said, “The situation didn’t start on October 7, the crisis has been there since 1967. Since then, Israel has been refusing all peace initiatives and has been inflicting horrendous damages on the Palestinians. The only way out of this violence is the 2-state solution.”
The idea of a two-state solution — with a sovereign Palestinian state alongside Israel and Jerusalem as their shared capital — has been the cornerstone of decades of international diplomacy aimed at ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Dr Narsh said that the Arab world, the United Nations, and several other countries have been pushing for the two-state solution, but Israel has not backed any of the peace initiatives.
“It (Israel) does not abide by the UN resolutions. It has been denying all calls for a two-state solution. The Arab world was ready to restore ties with Israel if they restored sovereignty to Palestine. But it deprives them of basic rights, Palestineans have no dignity,” Dr Narsh told NDTV.
Israel has tightened its blockade and bombardment of Gaza since Hamas gunmen stormed into Israel on October 7. Israeli authorities say the militants killed some 1,400 people and took at least 239 hostages.
The country has also been striking “Hezbollah terrorist targets in Lebanon”, which it claims is in retaliation to rocket fire. Cross-border exchanges with Hezbollah have become an almost daily occurrence since October 7, according to Israeli officials.
Dr Narsh though claimed that the attacks are being initiated by Israel and Lebanon is not interested in a war.
“Any war needs two parties and Lebanon is not interested in a war. But Israel has been provoking Lebanon and Hezbollah along the border. They have been bombing homes and have killed civilians, and journalists in Lebanon,” he said.
“Israel believes that it is above international law. and this has to stop,” Dr Narsh added.
Speaking on the October 7 attack, the Lebanese envoy said that Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people and was only a result of the Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip.
“Hamas does not represent Palestinian people. Hamas is just a militant group, resisting for their land. Wherever there is occupation, resistance is guaranteed,” he said.
Israel’s military today said it had struck over 600 militant targets over the past few days as it continued to expand ground operations in the Gaza Strip, where Palestinian civilians are in dire need of fuel, food, and clean water as the conflict enters its fourth week.