The Arab League has called for the United Nations Security Council to provide “protection” for Gazans ahead of an emergency meeting of Arab foreign ministers to discuss ways to de-escalate the latest conflict between Hamas and Israel.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has coordinated with his Kuwaiti counterpart ahead the emergency meeting at the Arab scheduled for Monday night to discuss the crisis in Gaza. Kuwait is the current President of the Arab Summit.
Shoukry spoke with Kuwaiti Foreign minister Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah by telephone ahead of the emergency meeting, which aims to “discuss the grave situation in the occupied Palestinian territories in light of the continued Israeli aggression on the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip”. The ministers are also expected to “work on the immediate cessation of the bloodshed of innocent Palestinian civilians and the formulation of a unified Arab stance”.
Ahead of Monday’s meeting in Cairo Arab League Secretary General Nabil El-Araby said via social media: “the aggression on Gaza is an aggression against the Arab people because the Palestinian issue is the core issue in the Arab world”. He called on the UN Security Council to “provide the necessary protection for the defenceless Palestinian people in Gaza and to end the Israeli occupation”.
Egypt, the United Kingdom and France joined the Security Council on Sunday in calling for a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel and a return to the November 2012 ceasefire agreement brokered by Egypt and the United States.
Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas official said there have been “talks in all directions” adding there has been “nothing concrete yet”. He stressed, “We consider Egypt’s role is essential in any agreement and Egypt has a historic role” in regards to the Palestinian cause.
Hamas political bureau member Mousa Abu Marzouq said on Sunday via social media that any truce with Israel would be “a warrior’s rest”. He stressed that Hamas “will continue with the help God”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week: “No international pressure will prevent us from operating with full force against a terrorist organisation that calls for our destruction.”
Additional reporting by Jihad Abaza
