The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Portugal, Paulo Rangel, denounced this Monday the "strangulation" of the West Bank due to the expansion of Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory, a dynamic that, in his opinion, practically makes the implementation of the two-state solution as a way to resolve the conflict impossible.
"It is totally incompatible with the two-state solution. Any country that advocates for this solution must be against this plan," Rangel declared while referring to the Israeli initiative to connect the E1 area with East Jerusalem, which would mean dividing the West Bank in two, according to Portuguese press reports.
The head of Portuguese diplomacy has labeled the project as "pernicious" and criticized the "violent expansion of the colonies," which he defined as "intolerable." Furthermore, he emphasized that Israel is blocking funds raised in the name of the Palestinian Authority.
"We are talking about a genuine siege on a set of Palestinian institutions that allowed, despite everything, to maintain some functionality of the Palestinian Authority and civil society," he stated at a joint press conference with his Palestinian counterpart, Varsen Shahin.
Regarding the situation in the Gaza Strip, Rangel recalled that a stabilization force is being configured, although for now "there are no results on the ground" in relation to the peace initiative promoted by the United States. "The humanitarian situation remains problematic and difficult," he pointed out.
Rangel received Shahin this Monday in Lisbon in a meeting of just over an hour that both described as "very productive." After the meeting, Portugal and Palestine signed two memorandums of understanding: one on periodic political consultations and another for training, preparation, and exchange of information and documentation between both diplomacies.
This is the first time that Rangel and Shahin have met since Portugal recognized the State of Palestine on September 21, 2025, which is why the Portuguese minister defined the meeting as a "historic moment." Shahin, for her part, expressed her satisfaction with the "constructive and positive" discussions with her counterpart. The appearance before the media concluded without a question-and-answer session.