November 29, 2023
Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, stated: “This destruction, this killing, this collective punishment practiced by the Israeli occupation is sowing hatred and rage in Palestine and the region, and these will last for years.”
He called for all parties to work on ending the war and turning the humanitarian truce into a permanent truce and complete ceasefire.
Further, the Council’s responsibility is not just to people in Gaza, but to achieve peace and stability in the region, he said, highlighting that life in Gaza is unbearable. People have no shelter or basic necessities.
Thus, the delivery of humanitarian assistance could mean the difference between life and death for many.
However, many people ignore the fact that the humanitarian assistance entering Gaza today is only the bare minimum needed to meet residents’ needs. There must be delivery of enough aid to prevent death by starvation or disease, he stressed, adding that ending the occupation is the League’s priority.
It is important to look towards the future, he continued, calling on the Council to focus on the political horizon of this situation.
The future must only mean one thing — a Palestinian State.
Yet, the only State rejecting the two-State solution is the occupying State.
The Council needs to show courage and decisiveness with that State to remove any illusions concerning retaining the Territory, he emphasized, underlining that this is apartheid.
In addition, decisive international will is needed to implement the solution and turn it into a reality as soon as possible by ending the occupation and establishing an independent Palestinian State. The opportunity of this war needs to be seized to find a settlement. An international conference should draw a timebound path to end the last colonial military occupation on earth, he said.