Israel on Sunday, February 18 formalised its opposition to the establishment of the Palestinian State, as it opposed the “unilateral recognition” of declaring the Palestinian statehood. Israel argued that any such decision can only be reached via the direct negotiations between all parties.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu conduced a vote for the “declaratory decision” against the establishment of the Palestinian state, the motion was approved unanimously, as per a statement. During the start of the weekly meeting, Netanyahu said that Israel opposes the “recent talk in the international community about an attempt to unilaterally impose on Israel a Palestinian state.”

As the war in Gaza raged on, the US President Joe Biden said that he told the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that a two-state solution is the "ultimate answer.” "Look, I made it clear to the Israelis, to Bibi [Netanyahu] and to his war cabinet that I think the only ultimate answer here is a two-state solution. That's real," Biden said at a news conference.  “I can tell you, I don’t think it ultimately ends until there’s a two-state solution,”he added.

While Biden reaffirmed his commitment towards two state solution, when asked if it was still possible with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu still in office. “No, it’s not,” Biden said.

UK, US object to Israeli attack on Rafah

As Egypt threatened to suspend the 1978 Camp David Accords or the “peace treaty” with neighbouring Israel, and Netanyahu’s declared that he has ordered IDF to launch assaults in Rafah, UK’s Foreign Ministry warned about the consequences of such a move. 

UK’s David Cameron said that Tel Aviv must “stop and think very seriously” before taking further action in the city of Rafah where hundreds of thousands of civilians are crammed into the makeshift tents. Speaking to the reporters in the East Kilbride, Scotland, Cameron said that he was “very concerned about the situation and we want Israel to stop and think very seriously before it takes any further action. But above all, what we want is an immediate pause in the fighting and we want that pause to lead to a ceasefire,” British foreign secretary Cameron said. His remarks came as at least100 civilians were killed  in the Israeli airstrikes in the southern Gaza, according to local health officials.

The city is the last refuge of over around one million displaced civillians. “We are very concerned about the situation and we want Israel to stop and think very seriously before it takes any further action. But above all, what we want is an immediate pause in the fighting and we want that pause to lead to a ceasefire,” Lord Cameron said.