Two-state solution must be upheld, says British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson

"Good to speak to President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority today. We discussed the importance of resuming peace negotiations towards a two-state solution,” Johnson tweeted on Monday.

Abbas confirmed the Palestinian Authority’s commitment to a two-state solution based on the border of 1967 with East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine.

According to Palestinian state news agency Wafa, he endorsed resuming peace talks following a multilateral international mechanism based on international law and the Arab peace initiative. 

This comes after the UN Secretary-General said that the two-state solution could be put at jeopardy amid US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital late last year.

Antonio Guterres warned on Monday that recent developments in the Middle East could create "an irreversible one-state reality" that would bury the two-state solution of a Palestinian state alongside Israel.

"Negative trends on the ground have the potential to create an irreversible one-state reality that is incompatible with realising the legitimate national, historic and democratic aspirations of both Israelis and Palestinians," Guterres told a UN meeting of a committee on Palestinian rights.

The UN chief said the global consensus on settling the Israeli-Palestinian conflict "could be eroding, making effective concerted action more difficult to achieve, at a time when it is more important than ever."

Israel regards Jerusalem as its "undivided" capital, a position nearly the whole world rejects saying its status should be determined in peace talks with the Palestinians.

Under international law, East Jerusalem is considered occupied Palestinian territory.