CAIRO: The secretary-general of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, condemned the “tolerance exhibited by major powers and the Western world toward the continuation of the Gaza war for an entire year” and warned that it will “exact a significant toll on regional stability.”
His comments came during a meeting in Cairo with Tor Wennesland, the UN’s special coordinator for the Middle East peace process. Their talks focused on the evolving situation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, a spokesperson said, as well as the risks Israel’s war on Gaza pose to regional stability, particularly in light of Israeli calls for escalation of the conflict with Hezbollah along the southern Lebanon front.
Aboul Gheit warned that the “hatred fostered by Israel through its massacres undermines any prospects for comprehensive peace in the future and threatens to destabilize the peace framework that has prevailed in the region for over four decades.”
Wennesland offered his perspective on efforts to preserve the framework for a two-state solution, including the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. He and Aboul Gheit discussed anticipated diplomatic initiatives that could advance a two-state solution from a position of mere rhetoric and intentions toward tangible actions and implementation.
The Arab League chief emphasized the need for continued political engagement across all platforms, particularly within the UN and its Security Council, to uphold and maintain the vision for two states.
He said: “Expanding the recognition of the Palestinian state is a pivotal step in this endeavor, as it facilitates negotiations between the two states on an equal footing, grounded in legal parity.”
Aboul Gheit and Wennesland also discussed efforts to address the humanitarian crisis in war-torn Gaza and agreed that though such efforts will be crucial during the upcoming phase of the conflict, they must be complemented by a political path that directly addresses the core issue of the ongoing Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.
