The Arab leaders, in their closing statement of the 33rd Arab Summit in Bahrain, called for an immediate and permanent cessation of hostilities in Gaza, an end to all attempts of forced displacement from the sector, the termination of all forms of blockade, allowing full and sustainable access for humanitarian aid to the population, and the immediate withdrawal of Israel from Rafah.
In the Manama statement, the leaders strongly condemned the continuing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and the crimes committed against Palestinian civilians, citing unprecedented Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law, including the targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure, the use of blockade and starvation tactics, attempts at forced displacement, resulting in the killing and injury of tens of thousands of innocent Palestinians. The Israeli aggression extended to the Palestinian city of Rafah, which has become a haven for over a million displaced persons, leading to catastrophic humanitaria
n consequences. The statement also criticized the Israeli occupation forces’ control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, aiming to tighten the siege on civilians, resulting in the cessation of the crossing’s operations and the flow of humanitarian aid.
The leaders reaffirmed their continued support for the Palestinian people in all forms in confronting this aggression, calling on the international community and influential international powers to transcend political calculations and double standards in dealing with international crises and fulfill their ethical and legal responsibilities in addressing Israeli aggressive practices, unequivocally describing them as flagrant violations of international law and humanitarian law.
They also called for the activation of relevant international mechanisms to conduct independent and impartial investigations and hold accountable those responsible for the crimes committed against the Palestinian people since the start of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza St
rip. They expressed condemnation for the Israeli targeting of humanitarian organizations and UN agencies in Gaza, obstructing their work, attacking aid convoys to Gaza, including attacks by Israeli extremists on Jordanian aid convoys, and the Israeli authorities’ failure to fulfill their legal responsibilities to provide protection to these convoys. They demanded an immediate international investigation into these attacks.
Source: Qatar News Agency
