Palestine Calls for Urgent Arab League Session Amid Escalating Crisis in Gaza
Ambassador Muhannad Al-Aklouk, the Permanent Representative of the State of Palestine to the Arab League, has formally requested an emergency session to address the worsening humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip. In a recent statement, he described the situation as dire, marked by widespread starvation and the systematic killing of civilians at so-called humanitarian aid points.
طلب السفير مهند العقوق، الممثل الدائم لدولة فلسطين لدى جامعة الدول العربية، رسميا عقد جلسة طارئة لمعالجة الكارثة الإنسانية المتفاقمة في قطاع غزة. وفي بيان صدر مؤخرا، وصف الحالة بأنها مروعة، تتسم بالمجاعة الواسعة النطاق والقتل المنهجي للمدنيين في ما يسمى بنقاط المعونة الإنسانية.
Al-Aklouk accused Israel of turning hunger into a weapon of war, stating that nearly 1,000 Palestinians have died while waiting for food distributed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). He denounced the aid distribution sites as a "new method of execution" under the guise of humanitarian relief.
Targeting of Religious Sites Draws Sharp Condemnation
Beyond the humanitarian crisis, the Palestinian diplomat highlighted a series of violations against religious sanctities. He specifically condemned recent Israeli actions in Hebron, where control over the historic Ibrahimi Mosque was transferred from the local Palestinian municipality to a council affiliated with Israeli settlers. Al-Aklouk warned that this move represents a clear attempt to erase the Islamic identity of the site and fully Judaize it.
He called the transfer a "dangerous precedent" that blatantly violates international law and United Nations resolutions, including those issued by UNESCO protecting cultural and religious heritage sites.
Christian Heritage Also Under Attack in Gaza
Al-Aklouk also decried the bombing of the historic Latin Monastery Church in Gaza, one of the oldest churches in the world and a current refuge for hundreds of displaced civilians. He labeled the strike a "criminal act" and a serious breach of international humanitarian law.
The targeting of both Islamic and Christian holy sites underscores what Al-Aklouk described as a pattern of systematic aggression against Palestinian identity and heritage.
Coordinated Arab and International Response Urged
The request for an emergency Arab League session aims to galvanize collective action at both the regional and global levels. Al-Aklouk emphasized the need for a unified political, legal, and diplomatic response to the unprecedented violations taking place in Gaza and other occupied Palestinian territories.
He called on Arab states and international organizations to intervene decisively to halt what he termed as genocidal policies and to uphold international humanitarian principles.
