Arab League Seeks Int’l Alliance against Israel’s Annexation of the West Bank

The Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit (File photo: Reuters)
The Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit (File photo: Reuters)
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Arab League Seeks Int’l Alliance against Israel’s Annexation of the West Bank

The Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit (File photo: Reuters)
The Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit (File photo: Reuters)

Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit is seeking to form an international alliance that confronts Israel’s annexation plans in the West Bank and Jordan Valley.

Israel’s plans did not receive any international support, according to the Sec-Gen, who said that most countries and international blocs oppose it, hoping this will help in the formation of the alliance.

Aboul Gheit said in a statement on Wednesday that it is necessary at this stage to form the widest possible international alliance which will expose Israel’s isolation and those who support it in this reckless and dangerous policy that threatens the stability of the region.

Assistant Secretary-General of the League of Arab States Hossam Zaki indicated that Aboul Gheit will participate in a session on the situation in the Middle East, which will be held at the ministerial level on June 24th and will be entirely devoted to discussing the annexation plans.

Zaki said that holding this meeting at this time is an opportunity for the Security Council and its members to publicly and collectively reject Israel’s plans and warn Tel Aviv against moving forward with it.

He pointed out that the meeting came as a result of successive conferences held by the Arab League delegation in New York with members of the Security Council led by France, the current president of the council, as well as Germany, as the upcoming president.

These diplomatic moves aim to implement the decision of the League calling to harness international efforts at the United Nations and its organs to address the implementation of the Israeli annexation plans.

Zaki stressed that Aboul Gheit continues his international calls to build an alliance against the Israeli move and demonstrate its grave threat to international peace and security.

Aboul Gheit recently sent a number of messages to Japan, India, Australia, and Russia warning against the annexation of parts of the Palestinian territories.



Israeli Gunfire Hits Perimeter of UN Peacekeeping Post in Lebanon, UNIFIL Says

A post for UN peacekeepers of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) is pictured near the border with Israel, southern Lebanon, April 6, 2023. (Reuters)
A post for UN peacekeepers of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) is pictured near the border with Israel, southern Lebanon, April 6, 2023. (Reuters)
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Israeli Gunfire Hits Perimeter of UN Peacekeeping Post in Lebanon, UNIFIL Says

A post for UN peacekeepers of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) is pictured near the border with Israel, southern Lebanon, April 6, 2023. (Reuters)
A post for UN peacekeepers of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) is pictured near the border with Israel, southern Lebanon, April 6, 2023. (Reuters)

The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said on Wednesday that direct fire from the Israeli army had hit the perimeter of one of its peacekeeping positions in south Lebanon.

In a statement, UNIFIL said the incident on Tuesday was the first of its kind since Israel and Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire last November.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli army on the incident, in which UNIFIL said one of its bases in the village of Kfar Shouba in southern Lebanon was hit.

"In recent days, UNIFIL has also observed other aggressive behavior by the Israeli military towards peacekeepers performing operational activities in accordance with Security Council Resolution 1701," it said, referring to a UN resolution originally adopted in 2006 to end hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.

Tuesday's incident occurred near the Blue Line, a UN-mapped demarcation separating Lebanon from Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

Any unauthorized crossing of the Blue Line by land or by air from any side constitutes a violation of Security Council Resolution 1701.

UNIFIL cited other alleged incidents it blamed on the Israeli army, including being targeted by lasers while it was performing a patrol with the Lebanese army in the southern border town of Maroun al-Ras on Tuesday.

Israel has continued to occasionally strike areas in south Lebanon, saying that it was targeting Hezbollah infrastructure. It has also struck the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut several times.

The ceasefire terms require that neither Hezbollah nor any other armed group have weapons in areas near the border south of the Litani River, which flows into the Mediterranean some 20 km (12 miles) north of the Israeli border.

They require Israel to withdraw troops from the south and that the Lebanese army deploy into the border region.

Lebanon and Israel have accused each other of failing to fully implement the deal. Israel still occupies five hilltop positions in the south. Rockets have been fired from Lebanon towards Israel twice, though Hezbollah denied any role.

Israel killed thousands of Hezbollah fighters in the war, destroyed much of its arsenal and eliminated its top leaders, including Hassan Nasrallah.

The war spiraled after Hezbollah opened fire at the beginning of the Gaza war, declaring solidarity with its Palestinian ally Hamas.