In a diplomatic gesture that underscores both perseverance and the grim reality of the Middle East, French authorities on Friday brought together Israeli and Palestinian civil society groups alongside foreign ministers from dozens of nations. The gathering at the Arab World Institute in Paris marks the second edition of a conference designed to prevent the two-state solution from being buried by the rubble of war. With the Gaza ceasefire stalled, civilian casualties mounting, and violence spreading across multiple fronts, the meeting’s organisers described the moment as “more essential and urgent than ever” — even as participants acknowledged that the goal of a viable Palestinian state alongside Israel has rarely seemed so remote.

Viewed from Paris, the conference is a cornerstone of President Emmanuel Macron’s effort to maintain diplomatic momentum where formal negotiations have collapsed. It comes exactly one year after the New York Declaration, a UN-backed initiative that laid out a roadmap toward Palestinian statehood and prompted around a dozen countries — including France, Britain, and Canada — to extend recognition. That declaration, signed by 142 states, remains the only significant multilateral framework to emerge since the Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023 and the devastating Israeli response. French officials hope the eight-point “Call for Action” to be issued on Friday, which urges a ceasefire, Palestinian governance reforms, and Gaza reconstruction, will feed into the upcoming G7 summit in Evian and keep the two-state paradigm politically alive.

From the perspective of the region, however, the conference unfolds against a backdrop of profound scepticism. Israeli and Palestinian peace advocates attending the talks are widely seen as courageous but increasingly marginal voices. The Israeli government has shown no appetite for reviving a political process that would entail territorial concessions, while the Palestinian Authority’s legitimacy and capacity remain deeply eroded. In Gaza, the humanitarian catastrophe and the absence of a credible post-war governance plan make talk of statehood sound abstract. Arab capitals, while formally committed to the two-state framework, are privately frustrated by the lack of progress and the international community’s inability to enforce a durable ceasefire.

Western analysts note that the Paris meeting is less about immediate breakthroughs than about preserving a diplomatic horizon. The eight-point plan is expected to include practical steps for rebuilding Gaza and reforming Palestinian institutions, but its success depends entirely on political will that is currently absent. European diplomats argue that without a credible political track, any reconstruction effort will fail, and that the alternative — perpetual occupation and cycles of violence — is unacceptable. Yet the gap between the conference room and the realities of a multi-front war has never been wider.

Looking ahead, the challenge for France and its partners is to translate this civil-society dialogue into leverage over decision-makers. The conference’s recommendations will be presented to G7 leaders, but the absence of Israeli and Palestinian officials from the table underscores the fundamental obstacle: the parties that must ultimately make peace are not yet willing to do so. For now, the Paris process serves as a holding pattern, a signal that the international community has not entirely abandoned the two-state solution even as the ground beneath it continues to shift.