Arab Foreign Ministers Call For Immediate Action To Protect Palestinians From Israeli Attacks

Mohamed Mandour Arab foreign ministers called for immediate international action to protect Palestinians from what they described as Israeli attacks, crimes and settler violence, as the Arab League's Council of Foreign Ministers concluded its 166th session Monday. In a resolution on the Palestinian issue, the ministers said Israel's continued occupation and attacks against the Palestinian people and territory constitute a threat to Arab national security. They strongly rejected any forced displacement of Palestinians from their land and condemned what they described as genocide, starvation, siege, war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Israel in the Gaza Strip. The ministers called for political, financial and legal support for an Arab-Islamic plan for the recovery and reconstruction of Gaza, urging Arab states and international and regional financial institutions to provide the funding needed to implement the plan without delay. They also called on the U.N. Security Council to adopt a decision under Chapter VII of the U.N. Charter requiring Israel to comply with council resolutions, halt its attacks against Palestinians and implement orders and advisory opinions issued by the International Court of Justice. The council condemned Israeli measures aimed at annexing parts of the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and imposing Israeli sovereignty there. It said implementing plans to annex any part of Palestinian territory occupied since 1967 would constitute a war crime. The Arab ministers also rejected measures aimed at fragmenting the Palestinian people's geographic and demographic unity, including any attempt to separate Gaza from the occupied West Bank or impose different systems in the territory. They stressed that Palestinians constitute one people wherever they live and that Gaza is an integral part of the State of Palestine. The council called for the immediate and unconditional release of Palestinian clearance revenues withheld by Israel and asked the Palestinian Authority to present a proposal for a financial safety net to support the resilience of the Palestinian people. It urged Arab countries to continue supporting the Palestinian economy and open their markets to the free flow of Palestinian-origin products. The ministers also praised Arab countries meeting their financial commitments to the Palestinian budget, specifically citing Algeria and Egypt, including Egypt's support through the treatment of Palestinians in Egyptian hospitals. On Gaza reconstruction, the council called for sustained Arab and international support for the Arab-Islamic recovery and reconstruction plan and urged donors and financial institutions to move quickly to provide the necessary resources. The ministers expressed support for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' reform efforts and the decision to hold elections as a national and democratic obligation. They stressed the role of the Palestine Liberation Organization as the legitimate and sole representative of the Palestinian people and rejected any attempt to exclude it from decisions concerning the Palestinian people's present or future. The council also strongly condemned the Israeli parliament's approval of what it described as a discriminatory law enabling the execution of Palestinian prisoners, calling it a serious violation of international human rights law. It condemned Israel's demolition of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency headquarters in Jerusalem and its seizure and conversion of the site, according to the resolution. The ministers urged member states to pay their assessed contributions to UNRWA, amounting to 7.8% of its general budget. The council called on the Arab Parliament, national parliaments, civil society organizations and Arab communities abroad to help strengthen resources for the Al-Aqsa and Jerusalem funds. On Jerusalem, the ministers backed Palestinian measures against countries that recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in violation of international agreements and laws affecting the city's legal status. The council reaffirmed its support for Palestine's right to full membership in the United Nations and called on the Security Council to approve its membership. It also backed Palestine's right to join international organizations and treaties on an equal basis with other sovereign states. The ministers condemned Israeli measures targeting Palestinian journalists and media institutions in Jerusalem. They also praised Egyptian and Qatari efforts to end the Israeli offensive and expressed support for Egypt's efforts to address the consequences of the war in Gaza and defend Palestinian rights and Egypt's national security, which they described as an integral part of Arab national security. The ministers called for efforts to ensure the immediate, sustained and adequate delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza. They also urged the United States to review its positions in accordance with international law and pressure Israel to halt its attacks and crimes against Palestinians and end what they described as its illegal occupation. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid Sports Roberto Carlos Marries Moroccan-Lebanese Sports Agent Souheila Tahiri Arts & Culture Haifa Wehbe Announces Massive 2026-27 World Tour Business World Gold Council: Current Price Decline Is a Temporary Correction, Not the Start of a Long-Term Bear Market News AUC Researchers Explore the Ethics, Trust and Future of Self-Driving Cars News GUC & GIU Open Research Centre in Germany with 4 Leading Universities News Aboul Gheit meets with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on sidelines of Antalya Diplomacy Forum Opinion & Analysis From Oblivion to Global Recognition: Will the City of Fuwwah Join the World Heritage List? 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