Arab nations condemn Zionist PM's provocative, annexation remarks
KUWAIT: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday strongly condemned statements by Zionist Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the annexation of Arab territories, rejecting what it described as expansionist and provocative rhetoric that flagrantly violates the principles of international law and the UN Charter. The ministry stressed the importance of respecting the sovereignty of Arab states.
In a statement, the ministry said Kuwait denounces such remarks, which expose the true intentions of the occupying entity and its plans to undermine the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people. It called on the international community to exert maximum pressure to confront these statements and to warn against their grave repercussions, which threaten state sovereignty, peoples' rights and regional stability.
Relief aid to Gaza
Meanwhile, Kuwait's third relief plane in the second humanitarian airlift arrived Thursday at Marka Military Airport in Jordan carrying 10 tons of food supplies destined for Gaza. The shipment, part of Kuwait's urgent national relief campaign, was prepared by Kuwaiti charitable societies and handed over to the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization for delivery to Palestinians in the besieged Strip.
Officials from the Kuwaiti Embassy in Jordan and the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization received the cargo, as the Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS) continues coordinating with both parties to ensure the uninterrupted flow and safe entry of aid into Gaza. Foreign Minister Abdullah Al-Yahya reaffirmed Kuwait's commitment to delivering humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people by air and land, revealing that preparations are underway to send additional aid by sea to bolster relief efforts.
Speaking to KUNA, Al-Yahya said these operations are carried out under the directives of the political leadership and follow-up by Acting Prime Minister Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud Al-Sabah to ensure aid reaches Gaza as swiftly as possible. He noted that the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense, KRCS, and other state institutions are working around the clock to provide humanitarian, medical, and relief support to the people of Gaza. So far this week, three aid planes have departed as part of Kuwait's humanitarian air bridge, each carrying 10 tons of essential supplies in coordination with Jordanian, Egyptian, and Palestinian authorities.
Also, Arab nations have slammed comments by Netanyahu apparently expressing support for the idea of an expanded 'Greater (Zionist entity)', calling the remarks a threat to their sovereignty at an especially tense time for the region. The term Greater (Zionist entity) refers to a biblical interpretation of the nation's territory during the time of King Solomon, encompassing not only the present-day Palestinian territories of Gaza and the occupied West Bank, but also parts of modern Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
Ultra-nationalist Zionists have called for these territories to be occupied. Asked on Tuesday by i24NEWS interviewer Sharon Gal if he subscribed to such a 'vision', Netanyahu said 'absolutely', adding, 'If you ask me what I think, we're there.' He then pivoted to a comment about the founding of Zionist entity and the 'great mission' of ensuring its continued existence. Zionist neighbor Jordan condemned the prime minister's remarks as a 'dangerous and provocative escalation' and 'a threat to the sovereignty of states'.
A spokesman for its foreign ministry went on to reject what he called Netanyahu's 'inflammatory' rhetoric and 'delusional claims'. Egypt also said that it had 'requested clarification on this matter', characterizing it as tantamount to a 'rejection of the option of peace in the region'. Netanyahu's remarks come in the midst of a 22-month war between Zionists and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip that has repeatedly spilled over into the wider Middle East and provoked frequent condemnation of Zionist entity from across the Arab world.
On Thursday, Iraq's foreign ministry condemned the comments, saying they revealed Zionist entity's 'expansionist ambitions' and were 'a clear provocation to the sovereignty of countries'. Gaza mediator Qatar also decried Netanyahu's statements calling them 'absurd' and 'inflammatory'. The allusion to an expanded Zionist entity also comes as far-right members of Netanyahu's cabinet demand the conquest of Gaza and annexation of the West Bank, where the government recently approved a rash of new settlements considered illegal under international law.
Saudi Arabia on Wednesday voiced 'its total rejection of the ideas and plans for colonization and expansion adopted by the occupation authorities', reiterating 'the historical and legal right of the Palestinian people to establish their independent state'. In February, Netanyahu in a television interview provoked an outcry from Arab countries after he suggested a Palestinian state could be established on Saudi land.
In Tuesday's sit-down, the premier also revived calls to 'allow' Palestinians to leave Gaza, telling broadcaster i24NEWS that 'we are not pushing them out, but we are allowing them to leave'. Past calls to resettle Gazans outside of the war-battered territory, including from US President Donald Trump, have sparked fears of displacement among Palestinians and condemnation from the international community.
Zionists kill 17 in Gaza
Gaza's civil defense agency said at least 17 people were killed Thursday in Zionist airstrikes as the military intensified its bombardment of Gaza City. The dead included six civilians who had been waiting for humanitarian aid, said civil defense spokesman Mahmud Bassal. 'The occupation forces are intensifying their raids in the Zeitun area' of Gaza City, he said. The military has yet to comment. 'For the fourth consecutive day, the area has been subject to a military operation, resulting in numerous deaths and injuries,' said Bassal. 'Since dawn today, we have received 28 calls from families and residents of this neighborhood, some of whose children have been killed. 'Many people cannot leave these areas due to artillery fire,' the spokesperson added. - Agencies
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