Palestine sees full UN membership as path to two-state solution

RAMALLAH -- Palestine said on Thursday that obtaining its full UN membership is the right path to the two-state solution for resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that "any political initiative to stop the war and resolve the conflict that is not based on the full membership of the State of Palestine in the United Nations and its recognition by Western countries and America will fail."

The ministry welcomed all regional and international efforts to reach an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, protect Palestinian civilians, and release hostages and prisoners.

Earlier Thursday, the U.S. newspaper The Washington Post published a plan that the U.S. administration is formulating with Arab countries, which includes "the completion of a detailed and comprehensive plan for long-term peace between Israel and the Palestinians, including a solid timetable for peace and the establishment of the state."

According to the plan, the Palestinian state that will be created is expected to be announced "in the coming weeks."

The last round of Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, sponsored by the United States, broke down in 2014 largely because of their divisions on the settlement issues.

The Palestinians seek to establish an independent state based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, while Israel insists that the entire city of Jerusalem is its eternal indivisible capital.