Palestine Officially Demands Urgent Arab League Summit over Israeli Aggression

A general view shows the opening session of the meeting of Arab foreign ministers at the Arab League Headquarters (Reuters)
A general view shows the opening session of the meeting of Arab foreign ministers at the Arab League Headquarters (Reuters)
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Palestine Officially Demands Urgent Arab League Summit over Israeli Aggression

A general view shows the opening session of the meeting of Arab foreign ministers at the Arab League Headquarters (Reuters)
A general view shows the opening session of the meeting of Arab foreign ministers at the Arab League Headquarters (Reuters)

Palestine’s Permanent Representative at the Arab League Mohammed al-Aklouk requested an extraordinary Arab summit on the Israeli aggression against Palestinians, at the invitation of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Aklouk said, in a statement published by Wafa, that Palestine’s request comes after coordination with Saudi Arabia in its capacity as the chair of the current 32nd session of the Arab Summit.

The Ambassador indicated that Palestine requested the summit to discuss the “brutal Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people” in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

Palestine called for the summit to address ways to help the state and people of Palestine confront the political, humanitarian, economic, and social challenges.

The summit also aims to discuss Arab action at the international level to end the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories occupied in 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, under international law, the relevant resolutions of international legitimacy, and the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative.

The Assistant Sec-Gen of the Arab League, Hossam Zaki, told Asharq Al-Awsat that Palestine, Saudi Arabia who is residing at the summit, and other countries are holding ongoing consultations in preparation for the emergency meeting to discuss ways to stop the war in Gaza.

The Palestinian President called on the Arab leaders to convene an emergency summit to stop the brutal aggression against the Palestinian people and their cause.

Zaki indicated that the emergency summit is as good as done, adding that under the current circumstances, it is almost sure that two-thirds of the members will agree to hold an emergency summit either in Egypt or Saudi Arabia.

Last May, the Kingdom hosted the 32nd regular session of the Arab League at the summit level.

The Arab League held an emergency meeting at the level of foreign ministers on Oct. 11 in Cairo to discuss the situation in Gaza, which concluded with a call for urgent international action to stop the war in Gaza.

The meeting condemned the targeting of civilians and warned against attempts to displace the Palestinian people.



Algerian, Italian Military Chiefs Discuss Border Security, Illegal Migration

Algerian Army Chief of Staff General Saïd Chanegriha arrives in Italy (Algerian Defense Ministry)
Algerian Army Chief of Staff General Saïd Chanegriha arrives in Italy (Algerian Defense Ministry)
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Algerian, Italian Military Chiefs Discuss Border Security, Illegal Migration

Algerian Army Chief of Staff General Saïd Chanegriha arrives in Italy (Algerian Defense Ministry)
Algerian Army Chief of Staff General Saïd Chanegriha arrives in Italy (Algerian Defense Ministry)

Algerian Army's Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Said Chanegriha, is on an official visit to Italy since Tuesday to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in the fields of countering terrorism, illegal migration and border security, and to benefit from Italian technical expertise in defense and security issues, Algerian sources said.
The visit came at the invitation of Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, Chief of the Italian Defense Staff, according to an Algerian Defense Ministry statement.
“This visit is part of strengthening cooperation between the People's National Army and the Italian Armed Forces. Issues of common interest will be discussed on this occasion,” the statement said, without elaborating.
The visit comes two months after both countries held the Strategic Dialogue in Rome, a consultation mechanism that has become increasingly important for sustaining the partnership between Rome and Algiers.
“Algeria is a natural partner for Italy, both economically and politically. Our country aims to further strengthen cooperation with the southern shore of the Mediterranean to address common challenges together,” Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani had stated at the Dialogue.
He also said “dialogue with Algiers is crucial for promoting de-escalation in the Middle East and contributing to the stability of the entire region.”
The Italian and Algerian delegations had met in three working groups dedicated to political and security cooperation, economic cooperation and the Mattei Plan for Africa, and bilateral cooperation on technical and cultural issues.
According to press reports, military cooperation between Algeria and Italy has seen a significant development in recent years, especially in the field of training.
The Algerian armed forces benefit from Italy’s expertise in multiple areas, such as counter-terrorism and border security.
A number of agreements were signed allowing Algeria to purchase Italian military equipment, including warplanes and naval vessels.
These agreements aim to strengthen the capabilities of the Algerian army and to hold joint military exercises between both navies in the Mediterranean.
Also, cooperation between Algeria and Italy focus on countering common security threats, such as terrorism and organized crime, through the exchange of information and expertise.