Arab League Calls for Immediate, Permanent End to Israeli War on Gaza 

Israeli army tanks drive in an area of Israel's southern border with the Gaza Strip on June 4, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)
Israeli army tanks drive in an area of Israel's southern border with the Gaza Strip on June 4, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)
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Arab League Calls for Immediate, Permanent End to Israeli War on Gaza 

Israeli army tanks drive in an area of Israel's southern border with the Gaza Strip on June 4, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)
Israeli army tanks drive in an area of Israel's southern border with the Gaza Strip on June 4, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)

The Arab League called on Wednesday for the immediate and permanent cessation of Israeli war on Gaza, ensuring the entry of humanitarian aid, immediately starting efforts to rebuild the coastal enclave, and creating an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

On the 57th anniversary of the Naksa, the General Secretariat of the Arab League (Palestine and Occupied Arab Territories Sector) said this year's commemoration comes amid a destructive war by Israel on the Palestinian people, especially in Gaza, where more than 2.3 million people are “subjected to war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide, in full view of the world.”

It noted the “unceasing settlement policies, killings, arrests, house demolitions, and desecration of religious sanctities in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem,” It condemned “Israel's refusal to comply with international law and resolutions that ask it to end the occupation and withdraw from all occupied Palestinian and other Arab territories, and allow the creation of an independent Palestinian state” in accordance with international resolutions and the 2002 Arab peace initiative.

The Arab League called on the international community, particularly the UN Security Council, to assume its responsibility and enforce its relevant resolutions.

It welcomed “the positive and constructive stances of all peace-loving countries and peoples, especially those that have recognized the State of Palestine” as a prerequisite to implementing the two-state solution. It urged countries that have not yet taken this decision to follow suit, “as it is a step toward security, peace, and stability in the region.”

The Arab League stressed “its solidarity with and support for the Palestinian people’s struggle to defend their land, homeland, and sanctities,” reiterating the “continued commitment of Arab nations and peoples to the Palestinian cause.”



Biden, Macron to Declare 60-Day Ceasefire between Hezbollah, Israel on Tuesday

 Smoke and flame rise after an Israeli airstrike on Beirut's southern suburbs, known as Dahiyeh, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP)
Smoke and flame rise after an Israeli airstrike on Beirut's southern suburbs, known as Dahiyeh, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP)
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Biden, Macron to Declare 60-Day Ceasefire between Hezbollah, Israel on Tuesday

 Smoke and flame rise after an Israeli airstrike on Beirut's southern suburbs, known as Dahiyeh, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP)
Smoke and flame rise after an Israeli airstrike on Beirut's southern suburbs, known as Dahiyeh, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP)

US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron will declare on Tuesday morning a 60-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, Asharq Al-Awsat learned from widely informed sources on Monday.

Washington has spoken of “cautious optimism” that the US proposal for a ceasefire could be a success. The proposal calls for Hezbollah’s withdrawal from the area between the Blue Line and Litani River in a manner that can be verified. In return Israeli forces will withdraw from the regions they occupied since they carried out their limited invasion of Lebanon.

The relative positivity prevailed in spite of the ongoing wide-scale military operations between Israel and Hezbollah in the South and Israel’s air raids deep in Lebanese territory. Hezbollah has also fired rockets deep in Israel, reaching Tel Aviv.

Analysts have said the intense attacks suggest that both Israel and Hezbollah are trying to maximize their leverage as diplomats conduct what they hope is a final round of ceasefire talks, reported the New York Times on Monday.

The New York Times reported on Friday that the terms included a 60-day truce during which Israeli forces and Hezbollah fighters pull back from border areas and the Lebanese Army and a United Nations peacekeeping force increase their presence in a buffer zone.

But officials have also warned that the two sides may not be able to finalize a deal, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has faced pressure from right-wing allies not to end the military campaign.

Israel’s hard-line national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, said in a social media post on Monday that the proposed deal would be a “historic missed opportunity to eradicate Hezbollah.”

Observers meanwhile told Asharq Al-Awsat that all pending issues related to the US proposal have been resolved from the Lebanese side, while Israel has some lingering reservations.

Israeli officials said Netanyahu’s security Cabinet is set to convene on Tuesday to discuss the ceasefire proposal.

Two officials confirmed the Cabinet meeting is set for Tuesday, but they said it is still not clear whether the decision-making body will vote to approve the deal.

The officials spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were discussing internal deliberations.