Arab Summit calls for international peacekeeping forces and two-state solution

Shafaq News/ The 33rd Arab Summit, hosted by the Kingdom of Bahrain, concluded with a condemnation of the ongoing military operations in Rafah and a unified call for Israel to withdraw from the city.

The final statement called for "the deployment of international protection and peacekeeping forces in Gaza until the implementation of the two-state solution."

The Bahrain Declaration stated, "We condemn the Israeli forces' control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing to tighten the siege on civilians in the Gaza Strip, which led to the crossing's closure, halted the flow of humanitarian aid, and cut off the main lifeline for Gaza residents. We demand Israel withdraw from Rafah to ensure safe humanitarian access."

The statement reaffirmed the unwavering Arab support for the Palestinian cause, considering it "the central issue and the backbone of peace and stability in the region." It expressed unequivocal rejection of any attempts to displace the Palestinian people within their land or outside it, deeming it a clear violation of international law that will be collectively resisted.

The statement strongly condemned all "illegal Israeli actions and practices targeting the Palestinian people, depriving them of their right to freedom, statehood, and human dignity as guaranteed by international laws."

Furthermore, the statement reiterated the firm position and call for a "fair and comprehensive peaceful settlement of the Palestinian issue, supporting President Mahmoud Abbas's call for an international peace conference." It emphasized, "irreversible steps to implement the two-state solution according to the Arab Peace Initiative and international legitimacy resolutions, establishing an independent, sovereign Palestinian state along the June 4, 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, and full membership in the United Nations as a sovereign state."

It also called for restoring all legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, especially their right of return and self-determination.

The final statement called on the international community to implement Security Council resolutions issued since the outbreak of the war on the Gaza Strip, including Resolution 2720, urging the UN humanitarian coordinator to expedite the establishment and activation of the UN mechanism within the Gaza Strip to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid and overcome all Israeli-imposed obstacles to respond to the humanitarian disaster in the Strip sufficiently.

It called for "coordinated Arab efforts" to provide urgent humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip in cooperation with relevant UN organizations.

The statement also urged 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 to implement relevant Security Council resolutions." stressing the need for "Israel, the occupying power, to halt all illegal actions that violate the rights of the Palestinian people, undermine the two-state solution, and hinder the achievement of a just and comprehensive peace in the region, including settlement building and expansion, land confiscation, and the displacement of Palestinians from their homes."

Regarding Jerusalem, the final statement emphasized the "sanctity of the occupied city and its significance to the Abrahamic religions." It condemned "all Israeli attempts to Judaize Jerusalem, alter its Arab Islamic and Christian identity, and change the historical and legal status quo, ensuring the protection of holy sites in Bethlehem and preserving their cultural identity and religious sanctity."

The statement also called for the deployment of UN protection and peacekeeping forces in the occupied Palestinian territories until the implementation of the two-state solution. It emphasized the responsibility of the Security Council to take precise measures to implement the two-state solution and set a timeframe for the political process.

In a related context, the final statement welcomed the UN General Assembly's decision on May 10, 2024, to support Palestine's request for full UN membership, backed by 143 countries.

The statement also called on all Palestinian factions to unite under the umbrella of the Palestine Liberation Organization, the “sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people,” and to agree “on a comprehensive national project and unified strategic vision to achieve the Palestinian people's aspirations for their legitimate rights and the establishment of their independent national state on their land, based on the two-state solution and international legitimacy resolutions.”