Arab League Chief Says Iran is Obstructing Peace in Yemen, Slams Turkey's Regional Interventions

Secretary-General of Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit speaks during a news conference after the 29th Arab Summit in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, April 15, 2018. (REUTERS)
Secretary-General of Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit speaks during a news conference after the 29th Arab Summit in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, April 15, 2018. (REUTERS)
TT
20

Arab League Chief Says Iran is Obstructing Peace in Yemen, Slams Turkey's Regional Interventions

Secretary-General of Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit speaks during a news conference after the 29th Arab Summit in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, April 15, 2018. (REUTERS)
Secretary-General of Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit speaks during a news conference after the 29th Arab Summit in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, April 15, 2018. (REUTERS)

Arab League Chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit accused Iran of obstructing a comprehensive peace settlement in Yemen, saying the Houthi group decisions are linked to Tehran.

Speaking to Egyptian media, the secretary-general said the situation in the region is unprecedentedly complicated, given the magnitude of threats and challenges, especially with Iranian and Turkish interventions that threaten the national security of several Arab countries, as well as the security of Arabs as a whole.

Turkish interference in Arab affairs is increasing, and now include violations of Iraqi sovereignty through repeated military attacks, said Aboul Gheit.

“There is an occupation of part of the Syrian region, and there is military involvement in the Libyan crisis.”

Also, the sec-gen asserted that the Arab League will continue to support the Palestinian people and their legitimate rights.

He added that the Palestinian state will inevitably be established and a solution will be reached for the long-term regarding the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Aboul Gheit called for ending the intra-Palestinian divisions, urging the Palestinian factions to prioritize the interests of the people above all other considerations.

“Our responsibility is to support the Palestinian people, and encourage the leadership to rise out of this extremely difficult situation that the Palestinian cause is going through.”

The secretary-general strongly denied claims that he supports the US peace plan, also known as the "deal of the century", confirming that he is against it.

“The Arab countries have not abandoned the Palestinian cause,” he noted.

He also stressed the need for an honest and in-depth dialogue between Arab countries regarding the Arab Peace Initiative.

Some Western countries talk about human rights, but refrain from discussing what the Israeli occupation is doing to the Palestinian people, said Aboul Gheit, adding that the Palestinian people will never accept conceding their rights in the state and the land.

Aboul Gheit denounced calls to end the role of the League, wondering who would benefit from such a move.

He pointed out that the establishment of the League is different from the EU or the UN, describing it as an entity for coordination between the positions of Arab countries.



Gaza Rescuers Say 72 Killed by Israeli Fire

Smoke billows after an Israeli strike in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on June 19, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
Smoke billows after an Israeli strike in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on June 19, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
TT
20

Gaza Rescuers Say 72 Killed by Israeli Fire

Smoke billows after an Israeli strike in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on June 19, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
Smoke billows after an Israeli strike in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on June 19, 2025. (Photo by AFP)

Gaza's civil defense agency said Israeli fire killed at least 72 people in the Palestinian territory on Thursday, including 21 who had gathered to receive aid in central and southern Gaza.

Updating an earlier figure, civil defense spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP the death toll had risen to 72, "due to the ongoing Israeli bombardment on the Gaza Strip since dawn today -- 21 of them were waiting for aid.”

The Israeli army told AFP that troops had fired "warning shots" at "suspects" approaching them in the Netzarim area where the civil defense agency said 15 people were killed waiting for aid, but that it was "not aware of any injured individuals.”