As a humanitarian crisis worsens in Gaza, a high-level United Nations conference is underway in New York to try to revive momentum behind a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine.
The goal is to develop an action-oriented road map for Palestinian statehood. 40 member countries attended the meeting, but the United States and Israel are both boycotting.
"Only a political two-state solution will help of responds to the legitimate aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security," France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said during the meeting. "There is no alternative."
The U.S. and Israel declined to attend the meeting, saying they don't support a two-state solution as a viable endpoint for the current conflict, and instead say the proposal interferes with ongoing cease-fire talks.
The U.S. State Department released a statement to Scripps News calling the conference "unproductive and ill-timed," accusing it of undermining "real-world efforts to achieve peace" and also calling it "a slap in the face to the victims of October 7."
Israel's UN spokesperson said that they did not attend because the conference did not address condemning Hamas as well as returning all of the remaining hostages.
Member nations including Canada, Mexico, the UK and Jordan all spoke out during the meeting to condemn the attack or call for the continued release of hostages.
RELATED STORY | French President Macron says France will recognize Palestine as a state
France last week also became the first major Western power to announce it would recognize a Palestinian state.
The conference will continue on Tuesday.
