His Majesty King Abdullah on Thursday reiterated that there is international consensus on the two-state solution as the formula to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and make long-awaited peace.

In a letter addressed to Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People Abdou Salam Diallo, King Abdullah urged the international community to shoulder its responsibilities by working for the return of the parties to the negotiating table.

The envisaged outcome, His Majesty said, is a solution to all final-status issues before “this precious opportunity” is lost forever.

The peace process, he noted, should lead to an independent and viable Palestinian state within the pre-1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

In the letter, which was sent on the International Day for Solidarity with the Palestinian People, King Abdullah said that the latest Israeli aggression on Gaza posed a serious threat to the security and stability of the Middle East and jeopardised the future of its people.

Such a threat, His Majesty added, should motivate all parties to work for sustaining the truce deal between Israel and Hamas, which controls the enclave, and help the Palestinians overcome the painful impact of the offensive.

“The unabating suffering of the Palestinian people as a result of the harsh economic and social situation, especially in the Gaza Strip, has led to a rise in the poverty rate at a time when people are deprived of the simplest rights they are entitled to as human beings. This signals the magnitude of the injustice the Palestinians have been subjected to historically, which requires positive international action to end this tragedy,” King Abdullah said.

His Majesty stressed that Jordan and the Arab and Islamic world are still committed to a comprehensive peace that guarantees the Palestinians their legitimate rights and contributes to the stability and prosperity of the region and its peoples.

His Majesty underlined the efforts Jordan has been exerting to push forward the peace process and find workable solutions to the conflict, referring in this context to the “exploratory talks” between Palestinian and Israeli officials that Amman hosted in January to pave the way for “serious peace negotiations” over final-status issues: borders, Jerusalem, refugees, security and water.

King Abdullah blamed Israel’s intransigence, unilateral measures on the ground for the lack of progress on the peace front, pointing in particular to the settlement activity in the occupied territories and Israeli policies aimed at changing the character of Jerusalem.

His Majesty commended the committee’s efforts to support the Palestinian people.