ARAB-ISLAMIC MINISTERIAL COMMITTEE REAFFIRMS PALESTINIAN UNITY, REJECTS DISPLACEMENT

CAIRO, March 24 (Bernama-WAFA) -- The Arab-Islamic Ministerial Committee on Gaza strongly reiterated its firm rejection of any transfer or displacement of the Palestinian people from their land, including Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, warning of the grave consequences that would result from such actions, Palestine News and Info Agency (WAFA) reported.

In a statement issued following its meeting with the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, hosted by the Arab Republic of Egypt on Sunday, the committee also emphasised the importance of unifying the Gaza Strip with the West Bank under the umbrella of the Palestinian Authority.

It reaffirmed its support for the Palestinian Authority in assuming full responsibility in Gaza and ensuring its ability to effectively manage both Gaza and the West Bank.

In his speech before the members of the Ministerial Committee, Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa emphasised the necessity of establishing a permanent and sustainable ceasefire, and implementing United Nations Security Council Resolution 2735.

He stressed the importance of addressing Israeli violations in a comprehensive manner, including those in Gaza and Jerusalem, as well as the systematic destruction in the northern West Bank.

Mustafa also highlighted the forced displacement of over 50,000 Palestinians and the destruction of their homes in the northern occupied West Bank, describing these actions as part of Israel's efforts to end the refugee issue and undermine the work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

Mustafa emphasised that the Arab and Islamic consensus on the Gaza reconstruction plan, along with its broad international support, serve as a renewed hope for the Palestinian people and a means to restore life to the Gaza Strip with the contribution of its people, without their displacement.

He highlighted that the plan reaffirms the unity of Palestinian institutions and official Palestinian representation, while also enabling the Palestinian government to serve its people in both parts of the homeland.

The Prime Minister also highlighted in his speech the ongoing Israeli practices that obstruct the work of the Palestinian government, particularly the continued Israeli deductions from Palestinian clearance funds, which undermine its ability to meet its obligations towards various segments of Palestinian society.

The parties also emphasised in their statement the necessity of respecting and preserving the unity and territorial integrity of the occupied Palestinian territories, considering this an essential element in realising the Palestinian state based on the June 4, 1967 borders, including with regard to Jerusalem, in accordance with United Nations resolutions, and within the framework of a two-state solution to achieve lasting peace and stability in the region.

They reiterated that the Gaza Strip is an integral part of the territories occupied in 1967 and reaffirmed their commitment to the two-state solution, with Gaza being part of the Palestinian state, in accordance with international law, including relevant Security Council resolutions. They also stressed the importance of guiding any discussions about the future of Gaza by this principle.

The parties discussed the recent developments in the occupied Palestinian territories and expressed their deep concern over the collapse of the ceasefire in Gaza, which resulted in a large number of civilian casualties due to the recent airstrikes.

The parties condemned the resumption of hostilities and the targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure.

They called for the immediate return to full implementation of the ceasefire agreement and the release of hostages and detainees. This agreement, which came into effect on January 19, was brokered by Egypt, Qatar and the United States.

They stressed the need to move towards the second phase of the agreement with the goal of its full implementation, including the release of all hostages, the permanent cessation of hostilities and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2735.

The parties also called for full respect for international humanitarian law and international law, stressing that this includes ensuring the rapid, sustainable and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and the widespread distribution of aid throughout the entire Strip.

In this context, they demanded the lifting of all restrictions hindering the access of humanitarian aid, as well as the immediate restoration of all essential services in the region, including electricity supplies, particularly for the desalination plants.

The parties welcomed the Arab recovery and reconstruction plan presented at the Cairo summit on March 4, which was subsequently adopted by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and welcomed by the European Council.

In this regard, they emphasised the importance of supporting the upcoming conference on early recovery and reconstruction in Gaza, which is scheduled to take place in Cairo with the participation of relevant parties.

They called on the international community to work on mobilising the resources that will be announced during the conference to address the catastrophic situation in Gaza.

The participants in the meeting expressed deep concern regarding the Israeli military incursions in the occupied West Bank, in addition to illegal practices such as colonial activities, house demolitions and colonists’ violence, which undermine the rights of the Palestinian people, threaten the prospects of achieving a just and lasting peace and exacerbate the conflict.

They pointed out that Israel, as the occupying power, must protect civilians and adhere to international humanitarian law.

They also firmly rejected any attempts to annex land or any unilateral actions aimed at changing the legal and historical status of the holy sites in Jerusalem.

The parties collectively reaffirmed their full commitment to a political solution to the conflict based on the two-state solution, where Israel and Palestine live side by side in peace and security, in accordance with relevant United Nations resolutions, the Madrid principles, including the land-for-peace principle, and the Arab Peace Initiative, paving the way for lasting peace and coexistence among all peoples of the region.

They also renewed their commitment, in this context, to holding a high-level international conference under the auspices of the United Nations in June in New York, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, to advance these goals.

-- BERNAMA-WAFA