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Kuwait Times
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Kuwait Times
Arab leaders demand Gaza truce
Spanish PM slams massacre • UN chief rejects displacement BAGHDAD: Arab leaders meeting Saturday at a summit in Baghdad urged the international community to press for a Gaza ceasefire, as the Zionist entity launched an expanded military offensive in the Palestinian territory. In a joint final statement, Arab League members also called for funding to back their Gaza reconstruction plan, after US President Donald Trump reiterated a proposal to take over the strip. The Arab leaders called 'on the international community... to exert pressure to end the bloodshed and ensure that urgent humanitarian aid can enter without obstacles all areas in need in Gaza'. They added that they 'firmly' rejected any plans to displace Palestinians. Appearing at the summit as a guest, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez appealed for increased pressure 'to halt the massacre in Gaza'. Egypt's President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi urged Trump to 'apply all necessary efforts... for a ceasefire'. Sisi, whose country is one of the main mediators in Gaza peace talks, described the Zionist entity's actions as 'systematic crimes' aimed at 'obliterating and annihilating' the Palestinians and 'ending their existence in the Gaza Strip'. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, the summit's host, said the Zionist entity was engaged in genocide. BAGHDAD: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres attend the 34th Arab League summit on May 17, 2025. - AFP United Nations chief Antonio Guterres told the summit that 'we need a permanent ceasefire, now'. Guterres said he was 'alarmed by reported plans by (the Zionist entity) to expand ground operations and more'. 'We reject the repeated displacement of the Gaza population, along with any question of forced displacement outside of Gaza.' Guterres added 'nothing justifies the collective punishment of the Palestinian people'. During a press conference, he urged an end to (the Zionist entity's) aid blockade on Gaza. 'A policy of siege and starvation makes a mockery of international law,' Guterres said. Sanchez, who has sharply criticized the Zionist offensive, said world leaders should 'intensify our pressure on (the Zionist entity) to halt the massacre in Gaza, particularly through the channels afforded to us by international law'. He said his government planned a UN resolution demanding an International Court of Justice ruling on the Zionist entity's war methods. The 'unacceptable number' of war victims in Gaza violates the 'principle of humanity', he said. The summit came days after a tour of the Gulf by Trump, who has sparked uproar by declaring the United States could take over Gaza and turn it into the 'Riviera of the Middle East'. The scheme that included the proposed displacement of Palestinians was widely condemned, and prompted Arab leaders to come up with an alternative plan to rebuild the territory at a March summit in Cairo. During his visit to the region, Trump reiterated that he wanted the United States to 'take' Gaza and turn it into a 'freedom zone'. Sudani told the summit his country backed the creation of an 'Arab fund to support reconstruction efforts' after crises in the region. He pledged $20 million to reconstruct Gaza and a similar amount for Lebanon, after an all-out war between the Zionist entity and Hezbollah. The Zionist entity has continued to launch strikes on Lebanon despite the November 27 truce. Iraq only recently regained a semblance of normality after decades of devastating conflict and turmoil, and its leaders view the summit as an opportunity to project an image of stability. Baghdad last hosted an Arab League summit in 2012, during the early stages of the civil war in neighboring Syria, which in December entered a new chapter with the overthrow of longtime ruler Bashar Al-Assad. In Riyadh this week, Trump met Syria's interim President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, a onetime jihadist whose Islamist group spearheaded the offensive that toppled Assad. He also said he would lift sanctions on Syria, which were mainly imposed during Assad's rule. Arab leaders welcomed the decision and said the sanctions impacted Syria's reconstruction efforts. Sharaa, who was imprisoned in Iraq for years after the US-led invasion of 2003 on charges of belonging to Al-Qaeda, missed the Baghdad summit after several powerful Iraqi politicians voiced opposition to his visit. Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani represented Syria, one of many countries to send ministerial-level delegations instead of leaders. – Agencies
Straits Times
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Spain's PM wants Israel out of international cultural events over Gaza war
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez speaks during the 34th Arab League summit, in Baghdad, Iraq, May 17, 2025. Hadi Mizban/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Spain's PM wants Israel out of international cultural events over Gaza war MADRID - Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called on Monday for Israel's exclusion from international cultural events such as the Eurovision song contest over its military campaign in Gaza, just as Russia was barred after its invasion of Ukraine. "We cannot allow double standards, not even in culture," Sanchez, a Socialist and long-time critic of Israeli policies in occupied Palestinian territory, told a conference in Madrid. "I believe that no one was shocked three years ago when Russia was asked to withdraw from international competitions after it invaded Ukraine and not participate, for example, at Eurovision. Therefore, Israel should not do so either," he said. Israel's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on Sanchez's remarks. Sanchez called on artists to stand up for threatened values such as democracy and peace, criticising those who defend "a bland, silent, equidistant cultural sector". Eurovision, which stresses its political neutrality, faced controversy again during this month's finals in Basel, Switzerland, won by Austrian singer JJ, while Israel's Yuval Raphael emerged as the winner of the televote. Pro-Palestinian groups had urged the European Broadcasting Union to exclude Israel over the war in Gaza. More than 53,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to local health officials, in Israel's offensive since a cross-border Hamas militant attack in October 2023 that killed around 1,200 people. Israel's declared goal in Gaza is the elimination of the military and governmental capabilities of Hamas. Despite international pressure to end the hostilities, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday Israel would take control of the whole of the Gaza Strip. A year ago, Spain, along with Norway and Ireland, formally recognised a unified Palestinian state ruled by the Palestinian Authority and with East Jerusalem as its capital - a decision Israel has condemned as bolstering Hamas. Last October, Sanchez urged the European Union and wider international community to stop selling weapons to Israel, as Spain did in 2023. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Egypt Today
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Egypt Today
Abbas says Hamas must 'surrender weapons to legitimate authority' under Arab plan to end war
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas delivers a speech at the 34th Arab Summit in Baghdad, May 18, 2025 – Still image CAIRO – 18 May 2025: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has urged the adoption of an Arab plan to end the war in Gaza and achieve peace. This plan emphasizes empowering the Palestinian Authority to take on civilian and security responsibilities in the enclave. Speaking at the 34th Arab Summit in Baghdad on Saturday, Abbas outlined that the plan requires Hamas and other factions to "surrender their weapons to the legitimate authority." It also includes restructuring the Palestinian security apparatus in Gaza within professional basis and with Arab and global assistance. During the ongoing war in Gaza, Israel has repeatedly called for Hamas to disarm as a condition for a ceasefire, a demand that the Palestinian movement has deemed as a "red line." While Hamas has welcomed the proposed formation of a community support committee that comprises independent technocrats to rule Gaza, it said it will not surrender its weapons as long as the Israeli occupation persists. Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has called for global pressure on Israel to 'halt the massacre in Gaza' as he addressed the 34th Arab League summit held in Baghdad on Saturday#Egypt #Africa #MENAhttps:// — Egypt Today Magazine (@EgyptTodayMag) May 18, 2025 'Arab Plan to Achieve Peace' During the summit, Abbas affirmed the need for hosting an international conference in Cairo to secure funding and implement the reconstruction plan for Gaza. Abbas said the Arab plan includes a permanent ceasefire, the release of all captives and prisoners, the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, and the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from the strip. He called for a comprehensive truce and a halt to unilateral Israeli actions that violate international law, such as settlement construction, annexation, demolition, and displacement. He emphasized the necessity of respecting the historical and legal status of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem under Hashemite custodianship. Abbas stressed the need for launching a political process confined within a specific timeframe to implement the two-state solution, establish a Palestinian state, and achieve international recognition in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative. UN Secretary General António Guterres called for the world to uphold the two-state solution to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as he addressed the 34th Arab League summit held in Baghdad on Saturday#Egypt #Africa #MENA — Egypt Today Magazine (@EgyptTodayMag) May 18, 2025 He reaffirmed the Palestinian Authority's readiness to hold presidential and legislative elections next year, contingent upon suitable conditions in Gaza, the West Bank, and Jerusalem. Abbas added that the Palestinian Authority is committed to reforming state institutions and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). 'We will continue working to unify the Palestinian ranks based on recognizing the PLO as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, alongside its political program, international legitimacy, and the principle of one system, one law, and one legitimate weapon,' he stated. Arab Summit Meets Amid Israeli Escalation The Arab leaders convened in Baghdad to address escalating tensions in the region, including the Gaza war, ongoing Israeli violence in the West Bank, and crises in Yemen, Sudan, Syria, Lebanon, and Libya. This meeting comes amid intensified Israeli attacks on Gaza, which have killed hundreds of Palestinian over recent days, despite ongoing negotiations in Qatar for a ceasefire. The Arab summit called for global pressure on Israel to halt the bloodshed in Gaza and to facilitate urgent and unhindered aid deliveries. It also urged political, financial, and legal support for the joint Arab-Islamic plan for early recovery and reconstruction in Gaza. President Abdel Fattah El Sisi said, on Saturday that even if Israel succeeds in normalizing relations with all Arab states, a lasting, just, and comprehensive peace in the Middle East will remain unattainable without the establishment of a Palestinian… — Egypt Today Magazine (@EgyptTodayMag) May 17, 2025 The $53 billion Arab plan for Gaza, approved by Arab and Muslim leaders in March, aims to provide permanent housing for the population, many of whom have been displaced by the war, while establishing essential services and vital infrastructure, including an airport. The plan ensures that Palestinian residents remain on their land during the reconstruction process, in contrast to Israeli-US initiatives that aim at permanently displacing residents from the enclave. Politically, an administrative committee composed of Palestinian professionals and independent technocrats is set to govern Gaza, currently under Hamas control, until the Palestinian Authority can reestablish authority in the strip. The war in Gaza has resulted in over 53,000 deaths, predominantly among women and children, according to local health officials.
Barnama
18-05-2025
- Business
- Barnama
Arab Leaders Urge Unity To Tackle Regional Challenges, Promote Peace
Arab leaders pose for a group photo on the day of the 34th Arab League summit, in Baghdad, Iraq, May 17, 2025. Hadi Mizban/Pool via REUTERS BAGHDAD, May 18 (Bernama-SPA) -- Leaders and heads of delegations who participated on Saturday in the 34th session of the Council of the Arab League, held in Baghdad, emphasised the need to unify efforts to overcome challenges in the Arab region and to establish peace in accordance with United Nations principles, based on respect for state sovereignty and good neighbourliness. According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit stated in his speech that rapid global developments and economic challenges highlight the importance of holding the Baghdad Summit. He noted that a comprehensive Arab food security strategy has been prepared and will be presented at the Arab Economic and Social Development Summit. bootstrap slideshow He indicated that the Development Summit is reviewing a proposal to establish a specialised ministerial council within the Arab League, comprising Arab trade ministers, aimed at enhancing trade exchange systems. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Syria Asaad Al-Shibani described United States (US) President Donald J. Trump's decision to lift sanctions on Syria as an important step towards national recovery and reconstruction. He said the move reflects a sincere Arab diplomatic effort that yielded tangible results, led by effective mediation from Saudi Arabia and Türkiye at a critical historical moment. Prime Minister of the State of Palestine Mohammed Mustafa reaffirmed his government's commitment to working with regional and international partners to achieve security, stability, and an end to wars, and to advance reconstruction, sustainable development, and a just and comprehensive peace in accordance with international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative. Prime Minister of Lebanon Nawaf Salam expressed his country's readiness to cooperate with Arab partners in addressing accelerating regional challenges that threaten growth, social justice, and rising youth unemployment rate, as well as issues related to the environment, climate, displacement crises, and post-war reconstruction. Minister of Foreign Affairs and the National Community Abroad of Algeria, Ahmed Attaf affirmed his country's commitment to contributing to Arab economic integration and its keenness to play an active role in fostering closer ties among Arab states.
Egypt Today
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Egypt Today
Arab summit urges end of Gaza bloodshed, funds to rebuild enclave
Arab leaders and top officials meet in Baghdad for the 34th Arab League summit, May 17, 2025 – Egyptian Presidency CAIRO – 17 May 2025: Arab leaders and top officials met in Baghdad on Saturday for the 34th Arab League summit, urging pressure by the international community on Israel to stop the bloodshed in Gaza and allow urgent and unimpeded aid deliveries across the enclave. The Baghdad Declaration reaffirmed the centrality of the Palestinian cause as the core issue of the Arab nation and the backbone of stability in the region. The leaders expressed their unwavering support for the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, foremost among them the right to freedom, self-determination, and the establishment of an independent, fully sovereign state, as well as the right of return and compensation for Palestinian refugees and expatriates. President Abdel Fattah El Sisi said, on Saturday that even if Israel succeeds in normalizing relations with all Arab states, a lasting, just, and comprehensive peace in the Middle East will remain unattainable without the establishment of a Palestinian state in accordance with… — Egypt Today Magazine (@EgyptTodayMag) May 17, 2025 The Arab leaders condemned all illegal actions and practices carried out by Israel, as the occupying power, which target the Palestinian people and prevent them from obtaining their basic rights to freedom, life, and human dignity, as enshrined in divine laws and international statutes. They called for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Gaza and an end to all acts of aggression that exacerbate the suffering of innocent civilians. Funding Gaza Reconstruction The Arab leaders called for political, financial, and legal support for the joint Arab-Islamic plan regarding recovery and reconstruction in Gaza, which was adopted at the extraordinary Arab summit and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in March. They urged countries and international and regional funding institutions to expedite the necessary financial support for implementing this plan. The declaration welcomed proposals and initiatives from Arab states to establish a fund for the reconstruction of Gaza. Unimpeded Aid The leaders emphasized the importance of coordinating efforts to pressure for the opening of all crossings to deliver humanitarian aid to all Palestinian territories, enabling United Nations agencies, particularly UNRWA, to carry out their responsibilities effectively. They called for the necessary international support for UNRWA to fulfill its duties. Supporting Orphans The leaders welcomed the formation of an open-ended working group in collaboration with the United Nations to follow up on the creation of a special fund to support orphans in Gaza, estimated to number around 40,000 children, as well as to provide assistance and prosthetic limbs for thousands of injured individuals, especially children. Rejecting Palestinian Displacement The declaration reaffirmed steadfast Arab position in rejecting any form of displacement or forced relocation of the Palestinian people from their land, under any name, circumstance, or justification. The leaders warned that such move would constitutes a flagrant violation of international law and humanitarian law, and represents a crime against humanity amounting to ethnic cleansing. The declaration strongly condemned the policies of starvation and the scorched earth tactics employed by the occupying authorities to pressure the Palestinian people to leave their land. Irreversible Steps to 2-State Solution In the same vein, the Arab leaders reiterated their commitment to a just and comprehensive peaceful settlement of the Palestinian cause. They expressed their support for the call made by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to convene an international peace conference and take irreversible steps to implement the two-state solution in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative and international legitimacy resolutions. They affirmed that the desired solution must ensure the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with full sovereignty based on the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and the acceptance of its full membership in the United Nations. Deploying Peacekeepers The declaration called for the deployment of international protective and peacekeeping forces under the auspices of the United Nations in the occupied Palestinian territories until the two-state solution is implemented. The leaders urged the United Nations Security Council to take clear actions to implement this solution within its responsibilities for maintaining international peace and security, with a necessary binding timeline for this political process. They called on all Palestinian factions to agree on a comprehensive national project and a unified strategic vision that consolidates national efforts to achieve the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people. Israeli forces have ramped up strikes on Gaza, killing more than 250 people, many of them women and children, bringing the total fatalities since the start of the war 19 months ago to over 53,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials#Egypt… — Egypt Today Magazine (@EgyptTodayMag) May 16, 2025 Solidarity Amid Regional Crises Besides Palestine, the leaders affirmed their support to Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Sudan and Libya amid the crises these countries are still experiencing. Syria: The leaders emphasized the importance of advancing a comprehensive transitional political process in Syria that preserves diversity and social peace, ensuring respect for the beliefs and sacred sites of all components of the Syrian people. Lebanon: The leaders reiterated their ongoing support for Lebanon in facing challenges, maintaining its security, stability, and territorial integrity, and protecting its internationally recognized borders from any violations. Libya: The leaders reaffirmed their full support for Libya, emphasizing the importance of resolving the crisis through national dialogue to preserve state unity and achieve the aspirations of the Libyan people for lasting stability, while rejecting all forms of intervention in Libyan internal affairs. Somalia: They condemned all terrorist activities targeting the security and stability of Somalia, including the assassination attempt on President Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud in March. UAE: The Arab leaders reiterated their absolute support for the United Arab Emirates' sovereignty over its three islands: Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs, currently occupied by Iran. They called on Iran to respond to the UAE's initiative for a peaceful resolution to this issue.
