Arab leaders accuse Israel of obstructing ceasefire efforts in Gaza and demand an end to its war on the Palestinian territory.
The Arab League called for a United Nations peacekeeping force to be sent to the occupied Palestinian territory at a summit dominated by Israel’s continued deadly assault on the Gaza Strip.
The meeting of Arab heads of state and government was held in Bahrain on Tuesday, more than seven months after the start of the Israeli offensive in Gaza which shook the entire region.
The “Manama Declaration” issued by the 22-member bloc calls for “international protection and UN peacekeeping forces in the occupied Palestinian territories” until a two-state solution to the Israeli conflict is achieved. -Palestinian is implemented.
He called for an immediate end to fighting in the Gaza Strip and blamed Israeli “obstruction” for the failure of ceasefire negotiations.
“We emphasize the need to immediately end the Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip, to withdraw the Israeli occupying forces from all areas of the Strip (and) to lift the siege imposed on it,” the statement said. communicated.
The statement accuses Israel of being responsible for the continuation of the war.
“We strongly condemn Israel’s obstruction of ceasefire efforts in the Gaza Strip and its continued military escalation by expanding its aggression against the Palestinian town of Rafah, despite international warnings of dire humanitarian consequences “, did he declare.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, a mediator between Hamas and Israel alongside Qatar and the United States, also said Israel was evading efforts to achieve a ceasefire.
“Those who think that security and military solutions are capable of guaranteeing interests or ensuring security (are) delusional,” el-Sissi said at the summit before the conclusion.
In the southern Gaza town of Rafah, a widely criticized Israeli ground operation is underway. More than a million displaced Palestinians have sought refuge in the region, after being forced to flee their homes in other parts of Gaza, which have been subject to intense Israeli bombardment since October. Around 600,000 people have fled the region since Israel launched its attack earlier this month, according to the UN.
The Arab League statement also reiterated a long-standing call for a two-state solution along Israel’s borders before the 1967 war, with East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital.
The statement calls on “all Palestinian factions to join under the umbrella of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)”, dominated by Hamas’ political rival Fatah.
The Arab League said it considered the PLO “the only legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.”
The Israeli attack killed at least 35,272 people, according to Gaza’s health ministry, and Israel’s severe restrictions on food, water, fuel and humanitarian supplies have caused severe food shortages and a threat of famine spreading from north to south.
The Arab League also “strongly condemned attacks on commercial vessels”, referring to dozens of attacks on vital shipping lanes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
The Iran-aligned Houthis say they are attacking ships linked to Israel in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. The Arab League said the attacks “threaten freedom of navigation, international trade and the interests of countries and people around the world.”
The declaration adds Arab nations’ commitment to “guarantee freedom of navigation in the Red Sea” and surrounding areas.
The Arab League was founded in 1945 to promote regional cooperation and resolve disputes. However, it is widely seen as ineffective and has long struggled to help resolve conflicts in the region.
In 1967, an Arab-Israeli war saw Israel seize the Palestinian territories of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.
Israel has annexed East Jerusalem and successive Israeli governments have encouraged settlement construction in the Palestinian territories.
Under international law, Palestinian territories remain occupied and Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank are considered illegal.