CAIRO – 16 May 2024: The Bahrain Declaration, issued at the conclusion of the 33rd Arab States Council Summit here Thursday, called for deploying UN peacekeeping forces in the occupied Palestinian territories until the two-state solution is implemented.
The declaration stressed the need to immediately stop the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, withdraw the Israeli occupation forces from all areas of the enclave, lift the siege imposed on the enclave and remove all obstacles and open all crossings to allow the entry of relief aid to Gazans.
In the declaration, the Arab leaders renewed their categorical rejection of any attempts to forcibly displace the Palestinian people from their land in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
"We call for urgent measures to be taken to achieve an immediate and permanent ceasefire, end the aggression in the Gaza Strip, provide protection for civilians, and release hostages and detainees," the declaration stated.
The Arab leaders pointed out to the importance of having the Joint Arab-Islamic Ministerial Committee continue its efforts to stop the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, end the humanitarian catastrophe suffered by more than 2.3 million Palestinian citizens and mobilize an international position supportive of the right of the brotherly Palestinian people to live in security, safety and freedom in their independent, sovereign state.
The leaders expressed thanks to the Committee for its efforts in the regional and international arenas, and appreciation for the efforts of the Arab League General Secretariat in organizing the 33rd summit.
They strongly condemned Israel's obstruction of ceasefire efforts in the Gaza Strip and continued military escalation by expanding its aggression against the Palestinian city of Rafah despite international warnings of its catastrophic humanitarian consequences.
They also condemned the Israeli forces' control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing with the aim of tightening the siege on civilians in the Gaza Strip, which has led to halting the crossing’s operation, the flow of humanitarian aid and the loss of the Palestinian people of Gaza’s main lifeline. They called on Israel in this regard to withdraw from Rafah to ensure safe humanitarian aid access.
They affirmed the firm and supportive Arab stance regarding the Palestinian issue, as being the core of peace and stability in the region, expressing categorical rejection of all attempts to displace the Palestinian people inside or outside their land as a clear violation of international law.
They emphasized their strong condemnation of all illegal Israeli measures and practices that target the brotherly Palestinian people and deprive them of their right to freedom, state, life and human dignity guaranteed by international law.
The Arab leaders reiterated their firm stand and call for a just and comprehensive peaceful settlement of the Palestinian issue, expressing their support for the call of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to hold an international peace conference and take irreversible steps to implement the two-state solution in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative and the resolutions of international legitimacy to establish an independent Palestinian state on the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital as well as accepting Palestine's membership in the United Nations as an independent, fully sovereign state and ensuring the restoration of all legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, especially their right to return, self-determination, empowerment and support.
They called on the international community to implement the Security Council resolutions issued since the outbreak of the war on the Gaza Strip, including Resolution no. 2720, urging the United Nations Chief Humanitarian Affairs Coordinator to expedite the establishment and activation of the international mechanism that the resolution called to be established within the Gaza Strip to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid into the enclave and overcome all obstacles imposed by Israel in this regard.
They called for the coordination of a joint Arab effort to provide humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip urgently and immediately, in cooperation with the relevant United Nations organizations.
The Arab leaders called on the international community to fulfill its legal obligations and take decisive measures to end the Israeli occupation of the Arab territories occupied in June 1967, including the occupied Syrian Golan and southern Lebanon, and implement the relevant Security Council resolutions.
They stressed the need for Israel, the occupying power, to stop all its illegal measures that violate the rights of the Palestinian people and undermine the two-state solution and chances of achieving just and comprehensive peace in the region, including building and expanding settlements, confiscating Palestinian lands and displacing Palestinians from their homes.
They asserted the need to stop all Israeli military operations and settler terrorism against the Palestinian people in the occupied West Bank, and to end all measures that hinder the growth of the Palestinian economy, including withholding Palestinian funds, in violation of international law, international humanitarian law, and international legitimacy resolutions.
They also stressed the sanctity of the occupied city of Jerusalem and its status among the heavenly religions. "We reject and condemn all Israeli attempts aimed at Judaizing Al-Quds (Jerusalem), changing its Arab-Islamic and Christian identity, changing the historical and legal status existing there and in its sanctities, providing protection for the holy places in Bethlehem and not compromising its cultural identity and religious sanctity," the declaration stated.
The Arab leaders affirmed their support for the historical Hashemite custodianship of the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, its role in protecting its Arab Islamic and Christian identity, and its role in preserving the existing historical and legal status in Jerusalem and its holy sites. They also asserted that the Blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, with its entire area of 144 thousand square meters is an exclusive worshiping place for Muslims alone and that the Al Quds Awqaf Department is the sole legal authority mandated with running all the affairs of the mosque, carrying out its maintenance work, and regulating entry to and movement inside it, the declaration read.
The Arab summiteers expressed full solidarity with Sudan in protecting its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and preserving the institutions of the Sudanese state, at the forefront of which are the armed forces, calling for a commitment to implementing the “Jeddah Declaration” in order to reach a ceasefire that guarantees the opening of humanitarian relief routes and the protection of civilians.
They urged the Sudanese government and the Rapid Support Forces to engage seriously and effectively with initiatives to resolve the crisis, including the “Jeddah Platform,” neighboring countries and others, in order to end the ongoing conflict, restore security and stability in Sudan, and end the dilemma of the brotherly Sudanese people.
They reaffirmed the necessity of ending the Syrian crisis, in line with Security Council Resolution No. 2254, and in a way that preserves Syria’s security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, fulfills the aspirations of its people, rids it of terrorism, and provides the environment necessary for the dignified, safe, and voluntary return of refugees.
"We reject interference in Syria's internal affairs, and any attempts to bring about demographic changes there," they stressed.
They also stressed the importance of the role of the Arab Liaison Committee and the Arab Initiative to resolve the crisis and the need to implement the Amman Statement.
They expressed their support for the efforts of the United Nations in this context, stressing the necessity of creating conditions conducive to achieving the dignified, safe and voluntary return of Syrian refugees to their country, including lifting the imposed coercive measures.
The Arab leaders renewed their firm support for the Presidential Leadership Council in the Republic of Yemen, headed by Dr Rashad Muhammad Al-Alimi, voicing their backing for efforts of the Yemeni government in its quest to achieve national reconciliation among all its people and ranks to realize security and stability in the country and support international and regional efforts aimed at reaching a solution.
They expressed full support for the state of Libya, its sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, calling for stopping interference in its internal affairs, and the withdrawal of all foreign forces and mercenaries from its lands within a specific time frame. They urged the Libyan House of Representatives and the Supreme State Advisory Council to quickly agree on issuing electoral laws that meet the demands of the Libyan people to conduct elections.
Simultaneous parliamentary and presidential elections and ending the transitional periods should be achieved as well, they said, stressing support for efforts to reach a political settlement in line with the terms of reference. They called for exerting utmost efforts for holding presidential and parliamentary elections as soon as possible and unifying state institutions to achieve the aspirations of the Libyan people.
The Arab leaders also called on all parties in Libya to continue the political process and achieve national reconciliation in a way that preserves the supreme interests of the State of Libya and fulfills its people’s aspirations for peace, stability and prosperity.
They affirmed their support for the Lebanese Republic, its sovereignty, stability and territorial integrity, urging all Lebanese parties to give priority to electing a president of the republic, strengthening the work of constitutional institutions, addressing political and security challenges, implementing the necessary economic reforms, and strengthening the capabilities of the Lebanese army and internal security forces to maintain Lebanon’s security and stability and protect its internationally-recognized borders in the face of Israeli attacks.
The Arab leaders expressed their firm support for the sovereignty and independence of the Federal Republic of Somalia and its territorial integrity, expressing their solidarity with Somalia in protecting its sovereignty and confronting any measures that might detract from it. Also they voiced support for efforts of the Somali government for combating terrorism, maintaining security and stability, and advancing the process of sustainable development and prosperity for the good and benefit of the people.
They affirmed the sovereignty of the United Arab Emirates over its three islands (Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa), calling on the Islamic Republic of Iran to respond to the initiative of the UAE to find a peaceful solution to this issue through direct negotiations or resorting to the International Court of Justice, in accordance with the rules of international law and the United Nations Charter, in a way which contributes to building confidence and enhancing security and stability in the Arabian Gulf region.
The Arab leaders stressed that Arab water security is an integral part of Arab national security, especially for Egypt and Sudan and rejected any action or measure that would affect their rights to the River Nile water, as well as for Syria and Iraq with regard to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
The Arab leaders renewed their complete and strong rejection of any support for armed groups or militias that operate outside the scope of state sovereignty and pursue or implement foreign agendas that conflict with the supreme interests of Arab countries, stressing solidarity with all Arab countries in defending their sovereignty and territorial integrity and protecting their national institutions against any external threats.
Be Social
Comments
Leave a Comment