CAIRO: The secretary-general of the Arab League and Spain’s foreign minister on Thursday discussed plans for an international peace conference to stop the war in the Gaza Strip.
During a meeting in Cairo, Ahmed Aboul Gheit and Jose Manuel Albares explored the possibility of organizing talks aimed at ending the conflict.
Aboul Gheit’s spokesperson, Jamal Rushdi, said the league’s leader had lauded Spain’s ongoing support for the rights of Palestinians, which he pointed out reflected the country’s commitment to principles, shared human values, and justice.
The rising death toll as a result of Israeli attacks on the Strip were “directly stemming from the tacit approval granted by some Western nations to engage in aggression and violence under the guise of self-defense — an entitlement deemed unacceptable for an occupying force,” Aboul Gheit said.
Albares, visiting Egypt as part of a regional tour, noted the urgent need for an immediate and lasting ceasefire in the Strip, as well as the preservation of unity and geographical connectivity between Gaza and the West Bank under the leadership of the Palestinian Authority.
He said it was imperative that an independent Palestinian state was established as soon as possible, adding that it was his country’s intention to recognize Palestine as a state soon.
Aboul Gheit urged Albares to champion the Palestinian cause in the EU, adding that recognizing Palestine and granting it full membership of the UN would help toward realizing a two-state solution to the crisis.
On the possibility of organizing an international peace conference, he said it was vital that Arab and European officials worked closely with relevant stakeholders to stage such a meeting.
Condemning the continued Israeli onslaught, Albares highlighted the urgent need to get humanitarian aid into Gaza, while he denounced forced displacement, and warned against Israeli operations in Rafah, according to Rushdi.
Speaking to the league’s permanent delegates, the Spanish minister focused on the war in Gaza and the priority of achieving a ceasefire.
In a post on X, Aboul Gheit said: “I value Spain’s positions in support of Palestinian rights, especially since it will recognize the independent state of Palestine very soon.”