The foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) demanded on Sunday an immediate ceasefire and end to Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip.
Speaking at the 159th GCC Ministerial Council in Riyadh on Sunday, the FMs also called for ensuring the delivery of aid to the Palestinian people, calling for providing international protection for them.
The closing statement of the meeting urged the international community to take a decisive stance to implement a ceasefire and protect civilians.
The necessary measures must be taken in line with international law to counter the Israeli government’s practices and collective punishment against the people of Gaza.
The ministers hailed efforts exerted by several countries and organizations to stop the Israeli assault, while expressing their disappointment with the veto of the ceasefire draft proposal that was submitted at the United Nations Security Council. The draft was submitted by Algeria on behalf of Arab countries.
The FMs rejected any Israeli justifications to continue the attack on Gaza, condemning the ongoing targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure, such as camps and hospitals.
Moreover, they underscored their support for the Palestinian people in remaining on their land, rejecting Israeli measures aimed at the forced displacement of the residents of Gaza.
The statement praised the outcomes of the consultative meeting hosted by Saudi Arabia in February to discuss the war on Gaza.
It also expressed support for Qatar and Egypt’s efforts to reach a humanitarian ceasefire in the enclave.
It hoped these efforts would succeed so that the siege could be lifted off Gaza. Furthermore, it urged the international community to assume its responsibility towards the Palestinian-Israeli conflict without double standards.
The FMs praised South Africa for filing a genocide complaint against Israel before the International Court of Justice, welcoming the preliminary ruling that held Israeli legally responsible before the international community for its violations against innocent civilians.
They condemned the statements made by extremist Israeli ministers about the forced displacement of the Palestinian people from Gaza and their support for the re-occupation of the enclave.
They reiterated that the Palestinian cause and ending the Israeli occupation remain at the heart of Arab affairs. They renewed the GCC’s support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders with east Jerusalem as its capital.
