Minister Shahin  Receives Austrian Foreign Minister and Briefs Her on the Latest Developments

On July 1, 2025, Dr. Varsen Aghabekian Shahin, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, received Ms. Beate Meinl-Reisinger, Austria’s Federal Minister for European and International Affairs, at the Ministry’s headquarters.

Minister Shaheen welcomed Meinl-Reisinger and the accompanying delegation expressing appreciation for their visit to the State of Palestine at this critical time, as the Palestinian people endure an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe.
Minister Shahin highlighted the catastrophic situation in the Gaza Strip, which is facing a war of extermination and forced displacement. She called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire amid what the world is witnessing as a live-streamed genocide. She further condemned the use of starvation as a weapon of war against Palestinian civilians and the systematic destruction of all aspects of life in the Gaza Strip with the aim of forcibly displacing its population. Minister Shaheen urged the international community to take concrete action to stop this genocide and ensure the unrestricted flow of humanitarian aid.

In this regard, Minister Shahin warned against the so-called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, describing it as a deadly trap for those seeking humanitarian aid and a mechanism for control and collective punishment. She emphasized the importance of supporting UN mechanisms for the effective delivery of humanitarian assistance.
The minister stressed the critical role of UNRWA, which possesses the infrastructure, expertise, trust, and legitimacy to deliver humanitarian aid effectively. Undermining UNRWA’s work, she warned, puts the lives of Palestinians in Gaza at even greater risk. Minister Shahin thanked Austria for its financial support to UNRWA, emphasizing how vital this decision is for ensuring the agency’s continued operations.
“What we are witnessing are flagrant violations of international humanitarian law and the most basic principles of human dignity,” Minister Shahin stated. “Gaza has become a moral test for our world. If we fail to uphold accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity, we risk undermining the foundations of the international system itself.”
Turning to the alarming situation in the occupied West Bank, including Jerusalem, Minister Shahin addressed the crimes committed by Israeli occupation forces and settlers against Palestinian civilians, their land, and property, particularly in the northern West Bank. She described the continued demolitions of homes and infrastructure, the forced displacement of hundreds of families, and the armed settler militias terrorizing Palestinian villages and towns under the protection of Israeli forces, burning homes and vehicles and killing civilians.

Minister Shahin stressed the need for the international community to take effective measures to stop these crimes, noting that mere expressions of concern are no longer sufficient while Israel continues to act with impunity. The minister urged Austria to adopt concrete measures, including imposing deterrent sanctions on Israel in line with international law. She also emphasized the need to review the EU-Israel Association Agreement due to Israel’s violations of international law.

Minister Shahin also called on Austria to help exert pressure on Israel to immediately and unconditionally release the Palestinian tax revenues it is illegally withholding. She briefed the Austrian side on the Palestinian government’s reform and reconstruction plans and the steps taken to promote good governance and transparency. She reaffirmed the Palestinian leadership’s readiness to assume responsibility for Gaza once the war of extermination ends, within the framework of the approved plan for reconstruction and emergency relief in the Strip.
Minister Shahin reiterated that the Palestinian people have endured decades of suffering due to the ongoing Israeli occupation, settlement expansion, and systematic annexation policies that are destroying the two-state solution. She urged Austria to participate in the upcoming high-level international conference aimed at ending the occupation and implementing the two-state solution based on international law and United Nations resolutions.

For her part, Minister Meinl-Reisinger expressed deep concern over the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, stressing the urgent need to end the suffering of Palestinian civilians and ensure the unrestricted delivery of humanitarian aid. 
The Austrian Foreign Minister reaffirmed her country’s rejection of any attempts to forcibly displace Palestinians from Gaza or any other area, considering such actions a blatant violation of international law. She also reiterated Austria’s longstanding support for the two-state solution as the only acceptable path to achieving peace, with two states living side by side in peace and security.

Following the meeting, the two ministers held a joint press conference in which they presented the key outcomes of their discussions.