Two-State Solution

The two-state solution proposes two sovereign states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security. Its widely accepted diplomatic formulation envisages a viable Palestinian state broadly in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, alongside Israel, with the precise borders and other disputed questions settled through negotiations.

Proposed territorial and political settlement

The framework generally uses the lines preceding the 1967 Arab-Israeli war as the basis for negotiations, often allowing mutually agreed land swaps. The West Bank and Gaza would form the Palestinian state, while arrangements would ensure Israel's security and the territorial viability of Palestine.

• Jerusalem's final status would be negotiated, with Palestinians seeking East Jerusalem as their capital and arrangements accommodating both states' claims.
• Both peoples would exercise political self-determination through separate states rather than a single common state.

Issues requiring final agreement

The two-state solution is a framework, not a complete peace treaty. Negotiations must resolve borders, Jerusalem, Israeli settlements, Palestinian refugees, security arrangements and mutual recognition.

• Territorial contiguity and freedom of movement are important for making a Palestinian state viable.
• Security guarantees are intended to prevent violence and enable both states to coexist peacefully.
• The refugee question concerns the status, return, resettlement or compensation of Palestinians displaced by the conflict.

Diplomatic evolution and India's position

The UN Partition Plan of 1947 first proposed separate Arab and Jewish states, although it was not implemented as envisaged. UN Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338 later supplied key principles for negotiated peace, while the Oslo Accords of 1993 created an interim self-government framework and deferred final-status issues.

• India supports a negotiated two-state solution involving a sovereign, independent and viable Palestine living within secure and recognized borders alongside Israel.
• Such a settlement serves India's interest in a stable West Asia while allowing it to maintain relations with Israel and continue its support for the Palestinian cause.