Arab League Denounces Israeli Escalation in Palestine

Ahmed Aboul Gheit (The official website of the Arab League)
Ahmed Aboul Gheit (The official website of the Arab League)
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Arab League Denounces Israeli Escalation in Palestine

Ahmed Aboul Gheit (The official website of the Arab League)
Ahmed Aboul Gheit (The official website of the Arab League)

The Arab League (AL) has condemned the recent Israeli escalation in Palestine.

Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit warned in a press release on Wednesday against targeting and killing Palestinians in cold blood.

He called on the international community to intervene to protect the civilians in the occupied territories and to stop the Israeli “killing machine.”

The secretary-general’s spokesman, Jamal Rushdie, noted that the violence has increased since the beginning of this year.

In his statement published on the AL website, Rushdie said five Palestinians were killed in separate incidents by Israeli orces on Tuesday.

Aboul Gheit linked the systematic escalation to the rise of the Israeli right wing and its dominance over Israeli politics.

He warned that “highly extremist members” have preoccupied the political scene in Israel, warning that this could have “dangerous” consequences.

The secretary-general considered that jeopardizing the Palestinians’ security and depriving them of any political prospect could ignite the situation in a manner “that serves no one”.

His statement came amid the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people which falls on November 29.

The Arab League witnessed several events on this occasion in addition to the release of official statements from the UN and some countries calling for relaunching the peace talks between the Palestinians and Israel.



Biden: Joseph Aoun is ‘First-Rate Guy’

FILE - President Joe Biden addresses the nation from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, July 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool, File)
FILE - President Joe Biden addresses the nation from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, July 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool, File)
TT

Biden: Joseph Aoun is ‘First-Rate Guy’

FILE - President Joe Biden addresses the nation from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, July 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool, File)
FILE - President Joe Biden addresses the nation from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, July 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool, File)

US President Joe Biden welcomed the election of Joseph Aoun as Lebanon's president on Thursday, saying in a statement that the army chief was the “right leader” for the country.

“President Aoun has my confidence. I believe strongly he is the right leader for this time,” said Biden, adding that Aoun would provide “critical leadership” in overseeing an Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire.

Aoun's election by Lebanese lawmakers ended a more than two-year vacancy and could mark a step towards lifting the country out of financial meltdown.

“We finally have a president,” Biden said later, at the end of a meeting on the response to major wildfires in the US city of Los Angeles.

He said he had spoken to Aoun by phone on Thursday for “20 minutes to half an hour,” describing the Lebanese leader as a “first-rate guy.”

Biden pledged to continue US support for Lebanon’s security forces, and for Lebanon’s recovery and reconstruction, the White House said in a readout of Biden’s call with Aoun.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Aoun's election “a moment of historic opportunity,” which offered Lebanon a chance to “establish durable peace and stability.”

Aoun, who turned 61 on Friday, faces the difficult task of overseeing the fragile ceasefire with Israel in south Lebanon.

Separately, Biden spoke about the hostage talks between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

“We’re making some real progress,” he told reporters at the White House, adding that he had spoken with US negotiators earlier Thursday.

“I know hope springs eternal, but I’m still hopeful that we’ll be able to have a prisoner exchange.”

Biden added: “Hamas is the one getting in the way of that exchange right now, but I think we may be able to get that done. We need to get it done.”