Arab-Islamic Ministerial Committee Calls for Sanctions on Israel in Response to Gaza Conflict
Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry participated in the committee meeting, headed by Saudi Arabia, according to the ministry spokesperson Ahmed Abu-Zeid.
On Sunday, members of the Arab-Islamic Ministerial Committee called on the international community to impose concrete sanctions on Israel. These measures would include halting the export of weapons to Israel, in response to their breaches of international law and humanitarian standards, as well as the alleged commission of war crimes in Gaza and the West Bank.
This announcement was made during a gathering of ministers at the World Economic Forum in the vibrant city of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
In a resolute stance, the ministers emphasized the importance of utilizing international legal mechanisms to ensure the accountability of those Israelis found responsible for these heinous acts, putting a halt to settler terrorism, and implementing decisive and stringent measures to address this pressing issue.
In addition, ministers and high officials from Jordan, Turkey, and Qatar; the secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation; and the secretary-general of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization were also present.
Moreover, the top diplomats discussed the mechanisms of intensifying joint Arab and Islamic work to reach an immediate ceasefire to end the war in the Gaza Strip and ensure the protection of civilians by international humanitarian law.
They also stressed the importance of exerting efforts aimed at international recognition of an independent Palestinian state on the borders of 4 June 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, implementing the two-state solution, and ensuring a sustainable and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to the strip.
Furthermore, the ministers emphasized that Gaza is an integral part of the occupied Palestinian territory, rejecting any attempts to displace the Palestinian people outside their lands and any military operation into the Palestinian city of Rafah.
They also expressed their deep concern regarding the measures taken against peaceful demonstrators in Western countries demanding a stop to the Israeli war crimes against Palestinians.
This committee, formed in November by the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit in Riyadh, primarily aims to halt the ongoing Gaza war and address the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in the strip by mobilizing immediate international action.
On Saturday, foreign ministers of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar, and Palestine warned against any Israeli ground operation into Rafah, reaffirming their categorical rejection of any Palestinian displacement.
