Arab-Islamic Summit issues joint statement on developments in Gaza Strip

The Ministerial Committee mandated by the Joint Extraordinary Arab-Islamic Summit on developments in the Gaza Strip, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Republic of Indonesia, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the State of Palestine, the State of Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Republic of Türkiye, the League of Arab States and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, in addition to People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Republic of Chad, Republic of Djibouti, Republic of The Gambia, State of Kuwait, State of Libya, Malaysia, Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Sultanate of Oman, Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Federal Republic of Somalia, Republic of the Sudan, United Arab Emirates, and Republic of Yemen express their strong condemnation and categorical rejection of Israel’s announcement of its intention to impose full military control over the Gaza Strip.

We consider this announcement a dangerous and unacceptable escalation, a flagrant violation of international law, and an attempt to entrench the illegal occupation and impose a fait accompli/ facts on the ground by force, in contravention of international legitimacy.

We affirm that this declared course of action by Israel constitutes a continuation of its grave violations, including killing and starvation, attempts at forced displacement and annexation of Palestinian land, settler terrorism, which are crimes that may amount to crimes against humanity.

Palestinian boys inspect the site of a morning Israeli strike on a house, in Gaza City, on Friday. Reuters

Such actions obliterate any opportunity for peace, undermine regional and international efforts towards de-escalation and peaceful resolution of the conflict, and exacerbate the severe violations against the Palestinian people, who have faced for nearly two years a comprehensive aggression and blockade affecting all aspects of life in the Gaza Strip, alongside serious violations in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

In light of this dangerous development, we assert the following:

• The immediate and comprehensive cessation of the Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip, and an end to the ongoing violations committed by the occupying forces against civilians and civilian infrastructure in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem.

• The demand that Israel, as the occupying power, immediately and unconditionally allow the entry of humanitarian assistance at scale into the Gaza Strip - including food, medicine, and fuel - and ensure the freedom of operation of relief agencies and international humanitarian organisations, in accordance with international humanitarian law and its applicable principles.

A Palestinian woman standing in a doorway reacts as she watches the aftermath of an Israeli strike that hit Gaza City's southern al-Zeitoun neighbourhood on Friday. AFP

• Support for the efforts undertaken by the Arab Republic of Egypt, the State of Qatar, and the United States of America to achieve a ceasefire and reach an agreement for the exchange of prisoners and hostages, as a fundamental humanitarian entry point to de-escalation, alleviating suffering, and ending the aggression.

• The immediate commencement of the implementation of the Arab-Islamic reconstruction plan of the Gaza Strip, and the call for active participation in the upcoming reconstruction conference to be held in Cairo.

• Rejection and condemnation of all attempts to displace the Palestinian people from their land in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the affirmation of the need to preserve the legal and historical status quo in the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, while recognizing the key role of the Hashemite Custodianship in this regard.

• The affirmation that a just and lasting peace can only be achieved through the implementation of the two-State solution, ensuring the realization of an independent Palestinian State on the 4 June 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the principles of international law and relevant United Nations resolutions.

Palestinians check the devastation following an Israeli strike that hit Gaza City's southern al-Zeitoun neighbourhood on Friday. AFP

We hold the Israeli occupation fully responsible for the ongoing genocide and the unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe taking place in the Gaza Strip, and calls upon the international community - particularly the permanent members of the Security Council - to assume their legal and humanitarian responsibilities and to take urgent action to stop Israel’s illegal aggressive policies aimed at undermining prospects for a just and lasting peace, eliminating any horizon for the implementation of the two-State solution, and ensuring immediate accountability for all violations committed by Israel against international law and international humanitarian law, including those amounting to genocide.

We also underscore the need to implement the outcomes of the High-Level International Conference on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, held in New York co-chaired by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the French Republic, including the urgent operational time-bound measures contained in its final outcome document to end the war in Gaza and the implementation of a political path to achieve the comprehensive peaceful settlement of the Palestinian question and the implementation of the two-State solution.