Arab League chief urges end to Gaza war

CAIRO - 5 Janury 2024: Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the Arab League, met with Democratic Senators Christopher Van Hollen and Jeff Merkley, members of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, on Friday.

In a statement, Aboul Gheit's spokesman Jamal Rida said the meeting discussed the latest developments in the Gaza Strip. Aboul Gheit stressed the need for the United States to use its influence to pressure Israel to stop its military campaign against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and its efforts to forcibly displace residents from the north of the Strip to the south.

Aboul Gheit said that Israeli practices amount to collective punishment that amount to war crimes and violate international humanitarian law. He stressed the need to work towards a serious and genuine two-state solution to end the conflict.

Rida said that Aboul Gheit also stressed the importance of continuing to pressure for the provision of humanitarian assistance at the required level through humanitarian corridors and demanding a complete ceasefire. He said that the Secretary-General called on the U.S. Congress to use its influence to pressure Israel to stop its war machine in the Strip.

Rida added that the U.S. Senators stressed the importance of the Arab role and the role of the Arab League in ending the war. They also highlighted the importance of working to release the hostages and immediately deliver assistance to alleviate the effects of the humanitarian disaster in the Strip.