‘Israel calling the shots, not Arab leaders’
At the opening of the Arab Summit in Baghdad, speaker after speaker has been talking about the desperate conditions under which Palestinians are living.
There is a real fear among the Arab leaders that Israel plans to ethnically cleanse Gaza, resettle the Palestinians, and depopulate this whole region. This is why the statements we have been hearing since this morning are rejecting this plan, saying that the Palestinian people should remain on their own land.
But it’s Israel that’s calling the shots, not these Arab leaders.
Israel’s actions in recent days — by stepping up the military offensive and talking about permanently staying in Gaza — are sending a message that it is not interested in ending the war.
Many will say that unless they have the US on board to help end this war, the Arab states have very little leverage on Israel. The normalisation of relations with Israel is not on the table until Israel commits to Palestinian statehood, and the Arab states are using this as some sort of leverage.
Leaders attend the opening session of the 34th Arab League summit in Baghdad
Hamas calls on Arab League ‘to stop genocide in Gaza’
A statement by the Palestinian group on Telegram has also urged the participants of the summit in Baghdad to “impose urgent sanctions” on Israel.
It said: “The occupation continues to perpetrate massacres against civilians, targeting residential neighbourhoods and shelters, resulting in hundreds of deaths and injuries, amid a stifling blockade and a complete cut-off of aid.”
Hamas described the situation as a “full-blown genocide committed before the eyes of a world that stands helpless, while more than two and a half million people are being slaughtered in the besieged Strip”.
Saudi Arabia calls for Gaza ceasefire, rejects forceful transfer of Palestinians
We have some comments made by Adel al-Jubeir, Saudi Arabia’s minister of state for foreign affairs, at the Arab League summit in Baghdad.
Al-Jubeir called for joint efforts “to lessen the humanitarian suffering of the Palestinian people” and said Israel’s “crimes” and “violations” in Gaza represent “a flagrant violation” of the UN Charter and international laws.
He reiterated the kingdom’s call for a ceasefire and its rejection of any attempts to forcefully transfer Palestinians.
Al-Jubeir also said Saudi Arabia rejected “any solutions that do not live up to the aspirations of the Palestinian people restoring their lawful right of self-determination, namely the establishment of an independent sovereign state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital”.
