Arab League Press Release: Algeria and Three Other Nations Express Reservations Over Gaza Conflict Resolution
BY: Hana Saada
Cairo, Egypt – The Arab League, convening an extraordinary ministerial meeting in Cairo to address the escalating conflict in Gaza, released a press release outlining a 12-point resolution aimed at quelling the violence. While the majority of the League’s member states supported the resolution, Algeria, along with Syria, Iraq, and Libya, expressed reservations regarding certain aspects of the document.
The resolution emphasized the “centrality of the Palestinian question” and stressed the commitment to a “fair and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution.” The League called for an immediate cessation of Zionist military operations in Gaza and urged all parties to exercise restraint, citing grave humanitarian and security consequences if the conflict persists.
Furthermore, the League called for international collaboration to act urgently and effectively within the boundaries of international law to safeguard regional security and stability in the face of escalating violence.
The Arab League strongly condemned the ongoing violations of Palestinian rights and called for the immediate lifting of the blockade on the Gaza Strip to allow the entry of humanitarian aid through UN organizations. Additionally, the League demanded the reversal of the Zionist entity’s decision to interrupt the supply of electricity to Gaza.
The League reaffirmed its support for the Palestinian people’s right to remain in their homeland and warned against any attempts to expel them. It emphasized the right of return and compensation as part of a comprehensive solution based on UN resolutions tied to the Arab peace initiative.
The resolution also stressed the necessity to restart the peace process and initiate serious negotiations between the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Zionist entity. The Arab League committed to continuing to provide political, economic, and financial support to Palestine and tasked its missions, councils of Arab ambassadors, and the Arab group at the United Nations with communicating the resolution’s content and working with international partners to end the Zionist aggression against the Palestinian people.
However, the second point of the resolution did not receive unanimous support. Algeria, in particular, expressed its reservations. Algeria adamantly rejected any equivalence between the suffering of the Palestinian people, who are striving for their inalienable right to self-determination based on 1967 borders, and the actions of the Zionist government, which Algeria believes violates numerous international conventions and resolutions.
In addition to Algeria’s reservations, Syria, Iraq, and Libya also expressed concerns. Tripoli, Libya, vehemently demanded the removal of the phrase “condemn the attacks on civilians on both sides” from the resolution, indicating a reluctance to equate Zionist actions with Palestinian suffering. Iraq’s reservations focused on the two-state solution, highlighting its desire for further consideration on this matter.
