Palestinian and Israeli civil society groups urge G7 to act on Gaza
A meeting in Paris of Palestinian and Israeli civil society groups has called on G7 leaders to take concrete steps to save the two-state solution, including enforcing a ceasefire, disarming Hamas, and starting reconstruction in Gaza.
Around 150 activists from across the Israeli-Palestinian divide gathered in Paris on Friday to draft proposals for the G7 summit next week in Évian-les-Bains, France. Five working groups produced a call to action demanding a permanent monitored ceasefire, meaningful consequences for settler violence, guaranteed humanitarian access, and transparent reconstruction funding.
The joint statement described Gaza as devastated and Israel as remaining under threat, warning that settler violence, settlement expansion, de facto annexation, and threats to the Palestinian Authority continue to undermine the viability of a future Palestinian state. Israelis and Palestinians alike remain trapped in fear, insecurity, and trauma.
The groups expressed concern that Gaza talks might be sidelined at the G7 summit and urged leaders to recognize that the window for a solution remains open but is narrowing. They called for urgent diplomacy grounded in partnership with civil society.
Progress on Palestinian self-rule and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza has stalled for six months, with each side blaming the other for failing to implement Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan. A meeting of Palestinian groups in Cairo this week made limited progress in persuading Hamas to hand over its remaining heavy weapons to an unspecified Palestinian organization.
A key focus of the Paris meeting, attended by Arab and European foreign ministers including EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, was to integrate diplomatic work on a two-state solution with civil society movements that continue to cooperate across the divide.
John Lyndon, executive director of the Alliance for Middle East Peace, said Israeli society shows openness to a two-state solution, but this constituency is poorly represented by political parties. He noted that diplomacy has been too elite-driven and disconnected from daily realities, and that a highly developed civil society remains an untapped resource.
The meeting came as the UK, Canada, and Australia this week established a long-demanded funding stream to support peace groups in the region. There is deep concern that Israel, ahead of elections later this year, is allowing increased settler violence in the West Bank, while the Palestinian Authority, lacking funds and democratic legitimacy, fails to challenge Hamas rule in Gaza.
The groups also called for proper funding of the Palestinian Authority, warning that without it, instability in the West Bank would deepen Hamas's entrenchment in Gaza and leave Israel with a growing security crisis with no political exit. They emphasized that regional integration could help end the occupation if not seen as a substitute for Palestinian statehood.
