The Arab ministers also appealed to the UN General Assembly and Security Council to consider additional actions to address Israel’s ongoing violations…reports Asian Lite News
Foreign ministers of Arab countries on Tuesday urged Israel’s complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, including from the Philadelphi Corridor and the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing.
The ministers categorically rejected Israel’s plans for “the day after its aggression” and its control over any part of Gaza, according to a resolution issued after the 162nd session of the Arab League (AL) Council at the ministerial level held in Egypt’s Cairo.
They have urged the international community to enforce the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion declaring Israel’s settlements illegal in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
They called on the UN General Assembly and Security Council to consider additional measures to end Israel’s illegal occupation.
The ministers also urged the ICJ to expedite its judgment on the case brought by South Africa against Israel, which accuses Tel Aviv of failing to abide by the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
They called on the UN to suspend Israel from participating in its general assembly, SPA reported.
In addition to officials from the United Nations and the European Union, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also attended the meeting, marking the first attendance of a top Turkish diplomat in an AL ministerial meeting in 13 years.
The Palestine-Egypt borders are sovereign ones that “should not be touched,” the resolution said, stressing “the need to operate the Rafah crossing in accordance with the applicable rules, and to remove all obstacles to safe, sufficient and rapid humanitarian access through the crossing.”
The Israeli army took control of the Philadelphi Corridor, a 100-meter-wide and 14-km-long buffer zone along the Egypt-Gaza border, and the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing in May, halting the entry of humanitarian aid trucks into Gaza.
On Sept. 2, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a news conference that Israeli forces are “not going to withdraw” from the corridor, reiterating that keeping it under control is critical for preventing future weapons smuggling from Egypt to Gaza.
In the resolution, the ministers said Netanyahu’s “allegations and lies” were “desperate attempts” to justify his refusal to withdraw from the corridor, obstruct mediation efforts by Egypt, Qatar and the United States, and distract attention from his government’s provocative policies against the Palestinian people.
Meanwhile, the ministers called for confirming the illegality of Israel’s continued presence in Gaza, ending its illegal presence there as soon as possible, and immediately dismantling all settlement activities, according to the resolution.
They also agreed to officially intervene to support the lawsuit filed by South Africa against Israel before the UN’s principal judicial organ, the International Court of Justice, and urged the International Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants against Israeli leaders, who they believed have committed crimes falling within its jurisdiction, the resolution noted.
UN deeply alarmed by continued loss of life in Gaza
UN Secretary-General António Guterres is deeply alarmed by the continued loss of life in Gaza and strongly condemns today’s Israeli air strikes in an Israeli-designated zone for displaced persons in Khan Younis.
“The use of heavy weapons in densely populated areas is unconscionable. Palestinians had moved to this area in Khan Younis in search for shelter and search of safety, after being repeatedly instructed to do so by the Israeli authorities,” said Guterres in a statement released by the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General during his daily briefing.
“As the Secretary-General has repeatedly said, there is no safe place in Gaza. He repeats yet again his call for an immediate ceasefire and the immediate and unconditional release of all Israeli hostages and other nationalities still being held in Gaza.”
Earlier today, Tor Wennesland, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, in his own statement strongly condemned the attack. He said that international humanitarian law, including the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precautions in attack, must be upheld at all times.
He also emphasised that civilians must never be used as human shields.
“Despite this incident, our partners were able to start the polio vaccination campaign in northern Gaza today. This is the third phase of the campaign and is expected to continue through Thursday. UNRWA says thousands of children in northern Gaza have been vaccinated so far. We hope to have more details later or tomorrow,” he added.
The World Health Organisation says vaccines, cold chain equipment, and finger markers – which are used to track who’s actually been vaccinated – were delivered successfully to Gaza yesterday. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that work is ongoing to deliver more fuel to ensure that vehicles used by vaccination teams remain functional, and to resupply hospitals so that they can maintain essential services.
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