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Member countries, numbering 22 called for an international conference for peace in the Middle East and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state
Conflict in the Gaza Strip dominated the agenda at the Arab League Summit held in Bahrain’s capital, Manama. Member countries, numbering 22 called for an international conference for peace in the Middle East and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
King Abdullah II of Jordan cautioned about the grave consequences of conflict in Gaza and its generational impact on the Middle East. He wanted everyone to work for peace in the region, which would take years to restore. The death and injustice let loose by the conflict should end immediately, he warned. The war must stop, and the world must shoulder its moral and humanitarian responsibility to end a conflict that has been ongoing for over seven decades, he said.
To recapitulate the sequence of events, the war in Gaza broke out after Hamas attacked southern Israel which resulted in the deaths of about 1,200 people, mostly civilians. An estimated 35,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Israel’s military retaliation, and its siege of the enclave has created a dire humanitarian situation.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres repeated his longstanding call for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. He called for the release of all hostages held in the enclave and unimpeded access for aid delivery. Egypt’s president, Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, whose country has mediated in the conflict, told the summit that Israel continues to evade efforts to reach a ceasefire in its war with Hamas.
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The summit’s final statement also called for international protection and peacekeeping forces of the United Nations in the occupied Palestinian territories until a two-state solution is implemented.