Spain, Ireland, Norway condemn Rafah attack, push for two-state solution

Israel's attack on Rafah that killed at least 35 Palestinians has further heightened tensions with Spain, Ireland and Norway reiterating their announcement to recognise the state of Palestine.

The bombing on Sunday has been widely condemned by the foreign ministers of three European countries, underscoring the urgency for a permanent ceasefire and a two-state solution.

Addressing a joint press conference in the Belgian capital Brussels on Monday, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide emphasised the "binding" nature of the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) ruling, which ordered Israel to halt its offensive in Rafah.

He stressed that continuing warfare in Rafah constitutes "a breach of international law," highlighting the need for adherence to the ICJ's "compulsory" measures.

"So it's a serious problem for all of us, because the impression created is that these norms do not apply to everybody, and many people will say that they do not apply to anyone.

"So, I think this is also standing up for the principles that we have agreed to in the world. Remember, the International Court of Justice is everybody's court."

According to the Norwegian minister, the discussions leading up to this decision included "a meeting between donors to the Palestinian Authority and the new Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa," who has been working towards improving "service delivery and governance," including the incorporation of Gaza into a more structured Palestinian administration.

Eide also stated they chaired a meeting with Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, the foreign minister of Saudi Arabia, where they discussed "a regional peace plan" that includes "normalisation between Saudi Arabia and other Arab states."

"That is the context in which Spain, Ireland, and Norway chose to recognise. We encourage other countries to do the same. We know that a number of European countries are either on the way to do so or contemplating, and we hope they will follow suit," he concluded.

Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin condemned the attack in Rafah, describing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as "barbaric" and urging Israel to cease its military assaults immediately.

"Could I say that, first of all, again, all of this was predicted. All UN agencies and humanitarian groups that I met predicted that any military operation in Rafah would have dire consequences for the population in Gaza. And that is exactly what is happening right now."

He called for an "unconditional release of hostages" and a significant increase in "humanitarian aid to Gaza," reinforcing the importance of "multilateralism" and the "independence" of international legal institutions.

"So we're not going to be in any way sort of diverted away from the core objective of our decision to recognise the state of Palestine," Martin concluded.

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares also echoed these sentiments, criticising the lack of "diplomatic courtesy" shown by Israel in their recent actions against European diplomats.

He reaffirmed the need for an immediate "ceasefire" and stressed the importance of upholding "international law."

"Yesterday's bombing is one more day with innocent Palestinian civilians being killed. This stresses what we have been calling the three of us, our three countries, for a long time, that it's an immediate ceasefire.

"But the gravity is even larger because it comes after a decision taken by the International Court of Justice that, once again, I want to recall, is binding and compulsory for all parties."

Albares also announced his intention to rally support from other EU nations to back the ICJ's decision and take measures to enforce it if Israel continues to disregard the court's ruling.

"Our objective is to recognise the state of Palestine tomorrow, make every possible effort to achieve a permanent ceasefire as soon as possible, and ultimately to reach that final peace," he concluded.