Doha – Ma’an – The Ministerial Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council affirmed the GCC’s support for the Palestinian people and its condemnation of the Israeli aggression on Palestine, calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and an end to the siege imposed on the Strip.

The Council stressed in a statement issued at the conclusion of its 45th extraordinary meeting, held on Wednesday in the Qatari capital, Doha, the importance of opening all crossings in the Gaza Strip immediately and without conditions, and ensuring the safe delivery of all relief and humanitarian aid, medical supplies and basic needs to our people in the Strip, within the framework of commitment to international law and international humanitarian law .

The meeting was chaired by the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Chairman of the current session of the Ministerial Council, with the participation of: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal
bin Farhan Al Saud, UAE Minister of State Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar, Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Abdullah Al Yahya, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs in the Sultanate of Oman Sheikh Khalifa bin Ali Al Harthy, and Secretary-General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf Jassim Mohammed Al-Badawi.

The Ministerial Council affirmed the GCC’s full support for the ongoing efforts to complete the ceasefire and urgently address the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Gaza.

The Security Council called for the implementation of its resolutions No. 2735, No. 2712, and No. 2720, calling for an immediate, complete and comprehensive ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the release of hostages and the exchange of prisoners, the return of civilians to their homes, the safe and effective distribution of humanitarian aid on a large scale, and the withdrawal of the Israeli occupation forces from the Strip.

The Minist
erial Council stressed the importance of the efforts of the Ministerial Committee, headed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which was formed by the extraordinary joint Arab-Islamic summit to stop the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people, and to move at the international level to support the efforts of the State of Palestine to gain recognition from more countries of the world, and to support it in obtaining full membership in the United Nations, and to hold an international peace conference.

The Ministerial Council welcomed the results of the international meeting held in New York on 26 September to support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), and stressed the importance of supporting the agency in light of the critical humanitarian conditions, to ensure that it continues to perform its tasks to provide the basic requirements for the Palestinian people. The Council noted the generous aid and support provided by the Council countries to the agency’s activities.

The Ministerial Council stressed the centrality of the Palestinian cause, ending the Israeli occupation, supporting the sovereignty of the Palestinian people over all Palestinian territories occupied since June 1967 , and establishing an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative and international legitimacy resolutions. The Council called on all countries to complete the procedures for their recognition of the State of Palestine.

The Ministerial Council expressed its support for the results of the ministerial meeting held by the Ministerial Committee headed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which was formed by the extraordinary Arab-Islamic Summit, in participation with the Kingdom of Norway and the European Union, and the launch of the “International Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution”, in order to embody the Palestinian state, in implementation of the relevant UN resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.

The Ministe
rial Council welcomed the adoption by the General Assembly on 18 September of the resolution ‘Ending the illegal presence in the occupied Palestinian territories’, and appreciated the General Assembly’s decision on Palestine’s eligibility for full membership in the United Nations. It called on the Security Council to quickly issue a resolution on the State of Palestine obtaining full membership in the United Nations. It also welcomed the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice on 18 July , which confirmed the illegality of the measures taken by the Israeli occupation to establish facts that go beyond the resolutions of international legitimacy affirming the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.

The Ministerial Council reviewed the dangerous developments and the increasing escalation that destabilizes the security and stability of the region, including in Lebanon and Palestine, and the threat to the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and religious sanctities.

The Ministerial Council condemne
d the escalation in the Lebanese and Palestinian territories, and warned of the serious repercussions resulting from this escalation, the effects of which are not limited to this region alone, but extend to a wider circle, and the resulting threat to international peace and security, and the undermining of peace and security efforts in the region and the world, stressing the necessity of protecting the security of the region and preventing the expansion of the scope of the war.

The Ministerial Council called on the international community to assume its responsibilities to maintain security and stability in the region and implement international legitimacy resolutions related to the region .

Regarding Lebanon, the Ministerial Council stressed the GCC’s support for the Lebanese people, with all their components, at this critical stage, and called for intensifying international and regional efforts to provide urgent humanitarian support to Lebanon to alleviate the suffering of civilians and protect them from a
ny serious repercussions. It also called for self-restraint, avoiding involvement in regional conflicts, and preventing the expansion of the circle of conflict in the region .

The Council stressed the need to implement Security Council Resolution 1701, relevant international resolutions and the Taif Agreement, to restore permanent security and stability in Lebanon, and to ensure respect for its territorial integrity, political independence and sovereignty within its internationally recognized borders .

Source: Maan News Agency