CAIRO: The Arab-Islamic Ministerial Committee, alongside a senior European Union official, strongly condemned the resumption of hostilities and targeting of civilians in Gaza, calling for an immediate Israeli withdrawal from the territory.
In a joint statement issued after the meeting, the committee established by the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit along with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, expressed deep concern over the collapse of the ceasefire and the rising number of civilian casualties.
The meeting urged a return to the ceasefire agreement brokered by Qatar, Egypt, and the U.S., which took effect on January 19, emphasizing the need for its full implementation, including the release of all hostages and detainees, a permanent end to hostilities, and Israeli forces' full withdrawal in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2735.
The participants stressed the need to uphold international humanitarian law, ensuring swift and unimpeded humanitarian aid throughout Gaza. They called for lifting all restrictions hindering aid delivery and restoring essential services such as electricity and water desalination.
The meeting welcomed the Arab Recovery and Reconstruction Plan, presented at the Arab Summit in Cairo and later adopted by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and endorsed by the European Council. It affirmed that the plan ensures Palestinians remain on their land, rejecting any displacement from Gaza or the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Participants also backed the upcoming Conference on the Early Recovery and Reconstruction of Gaza, set to take place in Cairo, urging the international community to mobilize resources to address Gaza's humanitarian crisis.
The meeting reaffirmed the importance of unifying Gaza and the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority (PA) and supporting the PA in assuming full governance responsibilities. It emphasized the territorial integrity of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, key to establishing a Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders, in line with UN resolutions and the two-state solution.
Concerns were also raised over Israeli military incursions in the West Bank, illegal settlement activities, home demolitions, and settler violence, which threaten peace efforts and entrench the conflict.
The committee called on Israel, as an occupying power, to comply with international humanitarian law and condemned any attempts to annex Palestinian land or alter Jerusalem's legal and historical status quo.
Reaffirming their commitment to a political resolution, the participants emphasized the need for a lasting two-state solution based on UN resolutions, the Madrid principles, and the Arab Peace Initiative. They also backed the UN High-Level International Conference, set for June in New York, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, to advance the peace process.
Attendees included Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Palestinian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Dr. Mohammad Mustafa, and representatives from Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, Turkiye, Indonesia, the UAE, Nigeria, the Arab League, and the OIC.
[Reported by Saudi Gazette]
