Dr. Said Abu Ali, Assistant Secretary-General for Palestine and the Occupied Arab Territories at the League of Arab States, received at the General Secretariat headquarters on 12 August a delegation from The Elders, including Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland, and Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand. The Elders is a group founded by the late Nelson Mandela, dedicated to issues of international peace and justice.
The delegation discussed the latest developments in the Palestinian cause and the catastrophic humanitarian conditions endured by the Palestinian people as a result of the ongoing war of extermination waged by Israel (the occupying Power) for nearly two years.
At the beginning of the meeting, Dr. Abu Ali welcomed this important visit by the group of distinguished statespersons, commending their efforts and commitment to closely monitoring developments and initiatives concerning the current extremely dangerous situation facing the entire region. This is particularly relevant in light of the Israeli occupation's ongoing aggression against the Palestinian people, as well as its policies, practices, and attacks that threaten the region's security and stability and risk igniting further conflict.
The meeting reviewed the grave humanitarian situation in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, including killings, forced displacement, destruction, the denial of humanitarian aid, the starvation of the Palestinian people, and the destruction of all aspects of life by Israel (the occupying Power). These actions have resulted in the death and injury of tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians, the majority of whom are women and children. In the occupied West Bank, the occupation continues to demolish camps, seize more Palestinian land, and facilitate the ongoing terrorisation of Palestinians by Israeli settlers, who are protected and encouraged by the occupation army. These constitute an ongoing series of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and acts of genocide that shock the conscience of humanity.
The intensive efforts of the League of Arab States to support the Palestinian people and confront the occupation's plans to impose control and annexation in the occupied West Bank, as well as to reoccupy the Gaza Strip, were also discussed. These efforts are being coordinated among Arab states and mobilised internationally with active global actors to pressure the Israeli occupation authorities to end the crime of genocide, hold Israeli officials accountable, and provide international protection for the Palestinian people.
His Excellency Dr. Abu Ali welcomed the advanced positions of many countries that have affirmed their commitment to the two-state solution and announced their intention to recognise the State of Palestine in the near future, including France, Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. He underscored the importance of this necessary step as a means of advancing security, peace, and stability in the region, and as a pathway to restoring the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination, freedom, and independence, and to establishing their independent state on the 4 June 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the two-state solution.
He also called on more countries to take this step without delay and to continue all regional and international efforts to stop the Israeli war machine, ensure the opening of crossings, and allow the unconditional delivery of humanitarian aid to meet the needs of all residents of the Gaza Strip. He stressed the need to end the starvation crisis and proceed with the immediate implementation of the Arab-Islamic plan for early recovery and reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, presented by the Arab Republic of Egypt and enjoying international support and endorsement.
Dr. Abu Ali concluded by affirming the necessity of enabling the State of Palestine to exercise its political and legal authority over the Gaza Strip as an integral part of the Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
