OSLO—As hopes for a ceasefire in Gaza rise, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa has called for sustained international pressure on Israel to facilitate the establishment of a Palestinian state.

This plea comes amidst indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken indicating on Tuesday that an agreement to halt the 15-month conflict might be forthcoming.

Speaking from Oslo, where he was attending the third meeting of the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Mustafa emphasized that international pressure has been a critical factor in bringing the parties close to a ceasefire.

He urged the global community to continue playing an active role.

"Pressure does pay off," he remarked, underscoring the necessity for the world to delineate what is acceptable concerning the peace process.

The Oslo conference, which brings together representatives from approximately 80 countries and organizations, is a platform for reinforcing global commitment to resolving the long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict through a two-state solution.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide, host of the event, echoed Mustafa's sentiments, stressing that a ceasefire, while essential, is merely the precursor to lasting peace.

"Since one of the two states exists, which is Israel, we need to build the other state, which is Palestine," Eide asserted.

Despite this international push, the path to realizing the two-state solution appears increasingly challenging.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, bolstered by the support of US President-elect Donald Trump, remains opposed to the creation of a Palestinian state.

Notably, Israel chose not to send representatives to the Oslo meeting.

Recent years have seen several European nations, including Norway, Spain, Ireland, and Slovenia, recognize Palestine as a sovereign state, further complicating diplomatic relations with Israel.

This backdrop serves to highlight the significance of the current Oslo conference meeting at the City Hall, a location steeped in history as the site where Yasser Arafat, Yitzhak Rabin, and Shimon Peres were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994 for their roles in the Oslo Accords.

The Oslo Accords once laid the groundwork for Palestinian autonomy aiming towards an independent state.

However, analysts today observe that the dream of two states coexisting peacefully is as distant as ever, necessitating continued diplomatic and international efforts to reignite the peace process and support Palestinian statehood aspirations.