The Council of the League of Arab States, at the level of permanent delegates, called on the international community to take immediate action, in accordance with international humanitarian law, to halt the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and break the blockade imposed on it. The Council emphasized the need to recognize the scale of the catastrophe and famine plaguing the Strip. During its extraordinary meeting at the General Secretariat headquarters in Cairo, the Council also emphasized the full adherence to Palestinian sovereignty over the Ibrahimi Mosque and its surroundings in the Old City of Hebron, and rejected any attempts to change the status quo there.
In its final resolutions, the Council condemned Israel’s transformation of the Gaza Strip into a famine zone and its use of starvation as a weapon of war, considering this a form of genocide. It called for ensuring the delivery of humanitarian and medical aid to the Strip and activating international accountability mechanisms for Israeli violations. The Council also called for the implementation of the decisions of the Arab and Islamic summits to end the blockade and allow the entry of humanitarian aid, while affirming support for UNRWA and enabling international organizations to carry out their duties. The Council called on the United States and the international community to pressure Israel to open the crossings and allow the immediate entry of aid, and to reject any alternative humanitarian mechanisms that might be used as a cover for aggressive policies or to impose additional restrictions on the civilian population. The Council also considered Israel’s policies of displacement and ethnic cleansing against Palestinians, and the denial of access to food and medicine, to constitute a crime of genocide under international law.
The Council condemned the targeting of places of worship, including the recent attack on the Latin Church in Gaza, as well as the continued punitive economic measures against the State of Palestine and the withholding of Palestinian tax funds, calling for their immediate release and the provision of an urgent financial safety net to support the Palestinian government.
The Council welcomed the statement by 28 countries, including 21 European countries, along with Britain, Canada, Australia, Japan, and others, calling for an end to the aggression on Gaza and holding the perpetrators of crimes accountable. It also affirmed its support for UN officials facing pressure due to their pro-Palestinian stances, calling for continued efforts to lift the blockade on Gaza.
The Council requested Algeria and Somalia, the two Arab members of the Security Council, to work to hold an emergency session to issue a resolution to end the blockade of Gaza and allow the entry of aid. It also stressed the need to keep the Council in permanent session to follow up on the implementation of its resolutions.
Regarding the Ibrahimi Mosque, the Council stressed its rejection of any Israeli attempts to change the status quo there, holding Israel responsible for the attacks and calling on the international community to protect it. It also called for an urgent UN monitoring mission to Hebron, the resumption of the work of the international mission to monitor violations there, and the documentation of attempts to Judaize the mosque within the framework of UN mechanisms.
The Council requested the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States to follow up on the implementation of these resolutions and submit a report on them to the Council’s next session.
