Kuwait labels Gaza grab a mockery of law
The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticized Israel's systematic displacement, inhumane policies, and war crimes, warning that ongoing inaction from the global community, particularly the UN Security Council, erodes international legitimacy and emboldens war criminals. The Kingdom called for urgent sanctions against Israeli authorities and a renewed commitment to the two-state solution based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital. Saudi Arabia stressed that peace cannot be reached without a just resolution for Palestine and denounced the regional and international risks associated with further escalation. Israel said Friday it will intensify its 22-month war with Hamas by taking over Gaza City, stirring fears for Palestinian civilians and Israeli hostages still held in Gaza, and renewing international pressure for an end to the conflict. Israel's air and ground war has killed tens of thousands of people in Gaza, displaced most of the population, destroyed vast areas and pushed the territory toward famine.
The timing of another major ground operation is unclear. It will likely require mobilizing thousands of troops and forcibly evacuating civilians, almost certainly worsening Gaza's humanitarian crisis. An official familiar with the plans to take over Gaza City said the operation would be 'gradual' and that there is no start date. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.
The U.N. Security Council announced an emergency meeting on Israel's plans was rescheduled to 10 a.m. EDT on Sunday after originally being scheduled to take place at 3 p.m. EDT on Saturday. The U.N. Mission of Panama, which holds the council presidency this month, provided no details, but Saturday is the Jewish Sabbath and Israel is certain to want to speak at the meeting. Mediators from Egypt and Qatar are preparing a new framework that will include the release of all hostages - dead and alive - in one go, in return for an end of the war in Gaza and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the strip, two Arab officials told The Associated Press.
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Kuwait Times
an hour ago
- Kuwait Times
Arab nations condemn Zionist PM's provocative, annexation remarks
Kuwait reiterates support for Palestine • Gaza death toll mounts 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
Arab Times
4 hours ago
- Arab Times
Kuwait, 30 Arab and Muslim nations reject ‘Greater Israel' claims
CAIRO, Aug 16: Thirty-one Arab and Muslim countries, including Kuwait, condemned on Friday in the strongest terms the statements made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the so-called 'Greater Israel.' 'These statements represent a grave disregard for, and a blatant and dangerous violation of, the rules of international law and the foundations of stable international relations,' reads a joint statement by foreign ministers of 31 Arab and Muslim countries and the Secretaries-General of the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the Gulf Cooperation Council. 'They also constitute a direct threat to Arab national security, to the sovereignty of states, and to regional and international peace and security.' They stressed that, while their states reaffirm their respect for international legitimacy and the Charter of the United Nations, particularly Article 2, paragraph 4, which prohibits the use of force or the threat thereof, they will adopt all policies and measures that preserve peace, in a manner that serves the interests of all states and peoples in achieving security, stability, and development, away from illusions of domination and the imposition of power by force. They also strongly condemned the approval by the extremist Israeli Minister Bezalel Smotrich of the settlement plan in the 'E1' area, along with his radical racist statements rejecting the establishment of a Palestinian state. They considered this to be a blatant violation of international law and a flagrant assault on the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to realize their independent, sovereign state on the lines of 4 June 1967, with Occupied Jerusalem as its capital. They stressed that Israel has no sovereignty over the Occupied Palestinian Territory. They reaffirmed their absolute rejection and condemnation of this settlement plan and of all illegal Israeli measures that constitute a flagrant breach of international law and of Security Council resolutions, particularly Resolution 2334, which condemns all Israeli settlement activities aimed at altering the demographic composition, character, and legal status of the Occupied Palestinian Territory since 1967, including East Jerusalem, the capital of the State of Palestine. They also reaffirmed the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, which emphasized the illegality of Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory, and underscored the need to end it immediately, to remove its consequences, and to provide reparations for the damages caused. They warned of the grave dangers of Israeli intentions and policies aimed at annexing Palestinian territory, and warn of the dangers of the continued expansionist settlement policy in the Occupied West Bank pursued by the extremist Israeli government, including attempts targeting Islamic and Christian Holy Sites, foremost among them Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif; settler terrorism; daily incursions into Palestinian cities, towns, and refugee camps; the systematic destruction of Palestinian refugee camps and the displacement of Palestinian civilians from their homes. 'These actions directly fuel cycles of violence and conflict and undermine prospects for achieving just and comprehensive peace in the region,' they cautioned. 'They also warn against reliance on ideological and racist delusions, which risk fueling the conflict in ways that are difficult to control or predict, thereby threatening both regional and international security and stability.' In a related context, they reiterated their rejection and condemnation of Israel's crimes of aggression, genocide, and ethnic cleansing. They underlined the need for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, along with ensuring unconditional humanitarian access to end the policy of systematic starvation that Israel is pursuing as a weapon of genocide. The Foreign Ministers also reiterated their unequivocal rejection of the displacement of the Palestinian people in any form and under any pretext, and call on the international community to exert pressure on Israel to end its aggression and to fully withdraw from the Gaza Strip, in preparation for enabling the creation of conditions conducive to the implementation of the Arab-Islamic plan for early recovery efforts and the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. In this regard, they called on the international community, especially the permanent members of the Security Council, particularly the United States of America, to shoulder their legal and moral responsibilities and to take immediate action to compel Israel to halt its ongoing aggression against the Gaza Strip and its dangerous escalation in the Occupied West Bank, to stop the illusory and inciting statements made by its officials, and to provide international protection to the Palestinian people. They further called for enabling the Palestinian people to obtain their legitimate rights, foremost among them the right to establish their independent sovereign state on their national soil, and for holding accountable those responsible for crimes and violations against the Palestinian people. The statement was signed by foreign ministers of Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Gambia, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Maldives, Mauritania, Morocco, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Turkiye, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen and the Secretary-General of the Arab League, the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the Secretary- General of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Kuwait News Agency
12 hours ago
- Kuwait News Agency
Egypt, Germany renew refusal of starvation policy in Gaza
CAIRO, Aug 16 (KUNA) -- Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and his German counterpart Johann Wadephul renewed their refusal of the starvation of Palestinians in Gaza, imposed by the Israeli occupation. The two sides' statement came in a phone call, according to Egypt's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday. The two ministers discussed the recent developments in Gaza, as well as Egypt's efforts to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid in the Strip and implement a ceasefire deal. Meanwhile, Abelatty hailed Germany's decision to suspend weapons shipments to the Israeli occupation, noting the the Israeli aggression force is continuously violating the international law and destroying any efforts for peace in the region. (end)
