UNITED NATIONS/GAZA/MADRID/HELSINKI - The UN General Assembly (UNGA) on Friday decided to resume a high-level international conference on the two-state solution on Sept 22, reviving a process that was put on hold this summer amid escalating violence in the Middle East.

The assembly adopted an oral decision proposed by Saudi Arabia on the resumption of the High-level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution.

After the adoption of the oral decision, both Israel and the United States declared their disassociation from it, saying the resumption of the conference would prolong the war in Gaza and embolden Hamas.

Ting Wu, deputy political counselor of the US mission to the United Nations, said her country would not participate in the conference.

Resuming the conference during the UNGA's high-level week provides an opportunity for more heads of state and government to attend the event.

It remains unknown whether Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas would be able to attend the conference in person, as the United States has imposed a visa ban on Palestinian officials. 

Israeli airstrike on residential building

Hamas on Friday denounced the Israeli airstrike on a residential building in Gaza City and accused Israel of seeking to forcibly displace civilians in the Gaza Strip.

The movement also denounced the expansion of military operations in Gaza City. It urged the international community to intervene and hold Israel accountable.

Earlier in the day, the Israeli army destroyed a residential tower in western Gaza City, shortly after threatening to target residential towers that it said had been converted to "terrorist" infrastructure.

The Israeli army said it had issued warnings before the strike.

Local sources and eyewitnesses said the Israeli warplanes fired at least four missiles at the Mashtaha tower near the Ansar Roundabout.

The tower consists of approximately 14 residential floors and houses media, human rights, and administrative offices, as well as commercial shops, in addition to apartments inhabited by Palestinian families, according to the sources and eyewitnesses.

The administration of Mushtaha Tower on Friday rejected Israeli claims that the residential building was being used for military purposes, stressing that the tower has only been hosting displaced civilians since it was damaged last year.

In a press statement, the tower's administration said the site "is subject to strict supervision, and entry is allowed only for displaced civilians."

It added that the building is free of any cameras, security equipment, or weapons, and that "all its floors are open and exposed."

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that Hamas's underground infrastructure runs close to some of the buildings in Gaza, enabling ambushes against IDF forces and providing potential escape routes from its headquarters.

The IDF added that Hamas had planted numerous explosive devices near several buildings, designed to be detonated remotely via surveillance equipment to target IDF forces as they approached.

Exclusion of Israeli sports teams

Separately, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said Friday he would support the exclusion of Israeli sports teams from international competitions, including the ongoing Vuelta a Espana (Tour of Spain) cycling race, over the Gaza crisis.

Speaking to Spanish public radio RNE, Albares said he "understood and would be in favor" of excluding the Israel Premier Tech cycling team from the Vuelta and Israeli teams from international competitions in general.

The presence of the Israel Premier Tech team in the three-week Vuelta has triggered mounting protests over Israel's ongoing military campaign in Gaza, which has claimed more than 63,000 Palestinian lives.

Protesters have lined roadsides in the Vuelta, waving Palestinian flags and shouting insults at Israel Premier Tech riders. On Wednesday, organizers were forced to cut short the stage in Bilbao after unrest during the first passage through the city raised safety concerns for the cyclists.

"We cannot have a normal relationship with Israel as if nothing was happening." He insisted, however, that the final decision rests with the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), cycling's world governing body.

"I know Spanish society is supportive and stands on the side of unprotected civilians, of Gazan children, of babies who are currently dying from bombs," Albares added.

Spain has long been a prominent supporter of Palestine. In May 2024, the Spanish government formally recognized the State of Palestine.

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New York Declaration

Also on Friday, Finland has decided to join the New York Declaration backing peace efforts and a two-state solution for Palestine, the government announced.

Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen made the decision following consultations with state leadership. She stressed, however, that "joining the declaration does not mean that Finland is recognizing the Palestinian state," according to a government statement.

The Finnish government underlined that the move aligns with Prime Minister Petteri Orpo's program and Finland's foreign and security policy guidelines.

Later on Friday, President Alexander Stubb welcomed the decision, calling it "a good step towards the two-state solution," and reaffirmed that "the two-state solution is a long-term goal of Finland."

France and Saudi Arabia hosted a UN conference in late July to push forward efforts for the two-state solution. At the conclusion of the meeting, they invited UN member states to endorse the declaration, with Sept. 5 set as the deadline for participation.