World leaders gathered at the UN on Monday for a summit convened by France and Saudi Arabia to push for a two-state solution that would establish an independent Palestinian state including Gaza, the West Bank and east Jerusalem.

The summit comes amid Israel's ongoing military operations in Gaza following Hamas' October 7 attack, with participants expressing hope that international recognition will lead to concrete action, though experts warn that recognition alone may be insufficient without accompanying peace negotiations.

“Unless the decision is followed by a renewed and robust peace negotiations that bring an end to Israel’s war in Gaza as well as the settlement and annexation policies in the occupied West Bank, recognition will be too little and far too late,” says Osamah Khalil, professor of history and chair of the International Relations Undergraduate Program.

Read more in the HuffPost article, “UN Members Push For A Two-State Solution, As More Leaders Recognize Palestinian Statehood.”