Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) is currently traveling through the Middle East (see video above). On Tuesday he met with his Israeli counterpart Israel Katz, who, according to Schallenberg, “is not against a two-state solution at all.” He just doesn’t want an imposed solution.
This contradicts Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has always strongly rejected calls for a two-state solution. Another topic of the conversation was the upcoming military operation in the border town of Rafah in the Gaza Strip. Katz assured Schallenberg that he would clarify what was happening to the civilian population before an offensive. Additional corridors for humanitarian aid would be opened in the north of the Gaza Strip, Schallenberg said on Tuesday.
“Encouraging Signs”
There are also “encouraging signs” in the negotiations for a ceasefire and the release of hostages. The desired deal with Hamas would likely involve 40 hostages, meaning 90 would still be under the terrorist organization’s control. According to Schallenberg, the Israeli side assumes that the abductees are in Rafah.
Among them is an Austrian-Israeli hostage: Tal Shoham. Schallenberg now met his father in Tel Aviv, who was grateful for the support. “We are working very intensively on this at all levels,” the Minister of Foreign Affairs said, referring, among other things, to his contacts with colleagues from Egypt, Turkey and Qatar.
On Wednesday, the politician will hold appointments in Jerusalem, the Palestinian administrative center of Ramallah and the Jordanian capital Amman. We go to Libya on Thursday and Schallenberg is expected back in Vienna on Friday morning.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
