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Yomiuri Shimbun
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Arab Leaders Promise to Work on Reconstruction of Gaza and Press for a Ceasefire
The Associated Press President of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sissi attends the 34th Arab League summit, in Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, May 17, 2025. BAGHDAD (AP) — Arab leaders at an annual summit in Baghdad called Saturday for an immediate end to Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip and to allow aid into the Palestinian territories without conditions. They promised to contribute to the reconstruction of the territory once the war stops. In March, an emergency Arab League summit in Cairo endorsed a plan for Gaza's reconstruction without displacing its roughly 2 million residents. Saturday's summit was attended by Arab leaders including Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Siss i. The Egyptian leader said that even if Israel succeeds in normalizing relations with all Arab states, 'a lasting, just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East will remain elusive unless a Palestinian state is established in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions.' Egypt was the first Arab country to normalize ties with Israel. Among the guests were Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, who called for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza and the flow of aid into the besieged territory. He said that the U.N. rejects any 'forced displacement' of Palestinians. Saturday's summit comes two months after Israel ended a ceasefire reached with the Hamas militant group in January. In recent days, Israel has launched widespread attacks in Gaza and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed a further escalation to pursue his aim of destroying Hamas. 'This genocide has reached levels of ugliness not seen in all conflicts throughout history,' Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said in a speech that called for allowing aid to flow into Gaza. Al-Sudani added that Iraq will work on setting up an Arab fund for the reconstruction of the region in which Baghdad will pay $20 million for Gaza and a similar amount for Lebanon. Final statement calls for end to Israeli attacks in Gaza 'We demand an immediate end to the Israeli aggression on Gaza and an end to hostilities that are increasing the suffering of innocent civilians,' said the final statement issued after the summit that was read by Iraqi Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein. 'Humanitarian aid should be allowed into all areas in Palestine without conditions.' The leaders said they reject any attempt to displace Palestinians in Gaza saying that any such move would be 'a crime against humanity and (an act of) ethnic cleansing.' The statement said Arab leaders support Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' call for the holding of an international peace conference that leads to a two-state solution. El-Sissi said that Egypt, in coordination with Qatar and the U.S., is 'exerting intense efforts to reach a ceasefire' in Gaza, adding that the efforts led to the release of Israel-American hostage Edan Alexander. He said that Egypt plans to hold an international conference for the reconstruction of Gaza 'once the aggression stops.' Abbas calls for Hamas to give up power in Gaza Abbas, the Palestinian president, called on Hamas to abandon power in Gaza and along with other militant groups to hand over weapons to the Palestinian Authority. Hamas seized control of Gaza from Abbas' Western-backed Palestinian Authority in 2007, and reconciliation attempts between the rivals have repeatedly failed. The Baghdad meeting was upstaged by U.S. President Donald Trump's tour in the region earlier in the week. Trump's visit did not usher in a deal for a new ceasefire in Gaza as many had hoped, but he grabbed headlines by meeting with new Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa — who had once fought against U.S. forces in Iraq — and promising to remove U.S. sanctions imposed on Syria. Al-Sharaa did not attend the summit in Baghdad, where Syria's delegation was headed by Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani. Iraqi Shiite militias and political factions are wary of al-Sharaa's past as a Sunni militant and had pushed back against his invitation to the summit. During Syria's conflict that began in March 2011, several Iraqi Shiite militias fought alongside the forces of former Syrian President Bashar Assad, making al-Sharaa today a particularly sensitive figure for them. Arab leaders back Syrian unity The statement issued after the summit said Arab leaders back Syria's unity and reject foreign intervention in the country. They condemned Israel's airstrikes and land incursions into Syria over the past months. They praised Trump's plans to lift the sanctions imposed on Syria and the easing of European sanctions recently saying that would 'speed up recovery and the reconstruction process' in the war-torn country. An Iraqi official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to media, said that Iran's Quds Force commander Esmail Ghaani paid a visit to Baghdad prior to the summit and 'conveyed messages of support for the Iranian-American negotiations' to reach a nuclear deal and lifting of crippling sanctions on Iran.
New Indian Express
17-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Arab leaders promise to work on reconstruction of Gaza, press for ceasefire
BAGHDAD: Arab leaders at an annual summit in Baghdad called Saturday for an immediate end to Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip and to allow aid into the Palestinian territories without conditions. They promised to contribute to the reconstruction of the territory once the war stops. In March, an emergency Arab League summit in Cairo endorsed a plan for Gaza's reconstruction without displacing its roughly 2 million residents. Saturday's summit was attended by Arab leaders, including Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi. The Egyptian leader said that even if Israel succeeds in normalising relations with all Arab states, 'a lasting, just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East will remain elusive unless a Palestinian state is established in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions.' Egypt was the first Arab country to normalise ties with Israel. Among the guests were Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who called for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza and the flow of aid into the besieged territory. He said that the UN rejects any 'forced displacement' of Palestinians. Saturday's summit comes two months after Israel ended a ceasefire reached with the Hamas militant group in January. In recent days, Israel has launched widespread attacks in Gaza and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed a further escalation to pursue his aim of destroying Hamas. 'This genocide has reached levels of ugliness not seen in all conflicts throughout history,' Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said in a speech that called for allowing aid to flow into Gaza. Al-Sudani added that Iraq will work on setting up an Arab fund for the reconstruction of the region in which Baghdad will pay USD 20 million for Gaza and a similar amount for Lebanon.
The Hill
17-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Arab leaders promise to work on reconstruction of Gaza and press for a ceasefire
BAGHDAD (AP) — Arab leaders at an annual summit in Baghdad called Saturday for an immediate end to Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip and to allow aid into the Palestinian territories without conditions. They promised to contribute to the reconstruction of the territory once the war stops. In March, an emergency Arab League summit in Cairo endorsed a plan for Gaza's reconstruction without displacing its roughly 2 million residents. Saturday's summit was attended by Arab leaders including Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Siss i. The Egyptian leader said that even if Israel succeeds in normalizing relations with all Arab states, 'a lasting, just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East will remain elusive unless a Palestinian state is established in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions.' Egypt was the first Arab country to normalize ties with Israel. Among the guests were Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, who called for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza and the flow of aid into the besieged territory. He said that the U.N. rejects any 'forced displacement' of Palestinians. Saturday's summit comes two months after Israel ended a ceasefire reached with the Hamas militant group in January. In recent days, Israel has launched widespread attacks in Gaza and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed a further escalation to pursue his aim of destroying Hamas. 'This genocide has reached levels of ugliness not seen in all conflicts throughout history,' Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said in a speech that called for allowing aid to flow into Gaza. Al-Sudani added that Iraq will work on setting up an Arab fund for the reconstruction of the region in which Baghdad will pay $20 million for Gaza and a similar amount for Lebanon. 'We demand an immediate end to the Israeli aggression on Gaza and an end to hostilities that are increasing the suffering of innocent civilians,' said the final statement issued after the summit that was read by Iraqi Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein. 'Humanitarian aid should be allowed into all areas in Palestine without conditions.' The leaders said they reject any attempt to displace Palestinians in Gaza saying that any such move would be 'a crime against humanity and (an act of) ethnic cleansing.' The statement said Arab leaders support Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' call for the holding of an international peace conference that leads to a two-state solution. El-Sissi said that Egypt, in coordination with Qatar and the U.S., is 'exerting intense efforts to reach a ceasefire' in Gaza, adding that the efforts led to the release of Israel-American hostage Edan Alexander. He said that Egypt plans to hold an international conference for the reconstruction of Gaza 'once the aggression stops.' Abbas, the Palestinian president, called on Hamas to abandon power in Gaza and along with other militant groups to hand over weapons to the Palestinian Authority. Hamas seized control of Gaza from Abbas' Western-backed Palestinian Authority in 2007, and reconciliation attempts between the rivals have repeatedly failed. The Baghdad meeting was upstaged by U.S. President Donald Trump's tour in the region earlier in the week. Trump's visit did not usher in a deal for a new ceasefire in Gaza as many had hoped, but he grabbed headlines by meeting with new Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa — who had once fought against U.S. forces in Iraq — and promising to remove U.S. sanctions imposed on Syria. Al-Sharaa did not attend the summit in Baghdad, where Syria's delegation was headed by Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani. Iraqi Shiite militias and political factions are wary of al-Sharaa's past as a Sunni militant and had pushed back against his invitation to the summit. During Syria's conflict that began in March 2011, several Iraqi Shiite militias fought alongside the forces of former Syrian President Bashar Assad, making al-Sharaa today a particularly sensitive figure for them. The statement issued after the summit said Arab leaders back Syria's unity and reject foreign intervention in the country. They condemned Israel's airstrikes and land incursions into Syria over the past months. They praised Trump's plans to lift the sanctions imposed on Syria and the easing of European sanctions recently saying that would 'speed up recovery and the reconstruction process' in the war-torn country. An Iraqi official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to media, said that Iran's Quds Force commander Esmail Ghaani paid a visit to Baghdad prior to the summit and 'conveyed messages of support for the Iranian-American negotiations' to reach a nuclear deal and lifting of crippling sanctions on Iran. ___ Associated Press writers Samy Magdy in Cairo and Bassem Mroue in Beirut contributed to this report.
Euronews
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Arab leaders reiterate push for Gaza ceasefire at Baghdad summit
Arab leaders gathered in Baghdad on Saturday for the annual Arab League Summit, where they announced they were working on a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip and vowed to contribute to the enclave's reconstruction. The summit in the Iraqi capital was attended by Arab leaders including Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez also attended as a guest, as did UN Secretary-General António Guterres. The Spanish prime minister, who in a speech to the Spanis parliament on Wednesday called Israel a "genocidal state", urged the international community to apply pressure on Israel "to halt the massacre in Gaza." Guterres called for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza and the flow of aid into the territory, which has been under a total blockade by Israel for more than two months. He also said the UN rejects any "forced displacement" of Palestinians. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani called for allowing aid to flow back into Gaza, which has been under a total blockade by Israel since early March. "This genocide has reached levels of ugliness not seen in all conflicts throughout history," he said, adding that Iraq will work on setting up an Arab fund for the region's reconstructionom which his country will pay $20 million for Gaza and a roughly similar amount for Lebanon. Egypt's el-Sissi said that his country was coordinating with Qatar and the US in "exerting intense efforts to reach a ceasefire", and that Egypt plans to hold an international conference for the Gaza's reconstruction "once the aggression stops". Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who is leader of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) in the West Bank and holds no authority over Hamas in Gaza, urged the militant group to hand over its weapons to the PNA. A notable absentee was new Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, who sent his foreign minister instead. Iraqi Shiite militias and political factions wary of al-Sharaa's past as a Sunni militant pushed back against his invitation to the summit. Al-Sharaa did nevertheless meet US President Donald Trump earlier in the week, who promised to remove US-imposed sanctions on Syria. The day before the summit took place, Israel announced the launching of a new announced a new phase in its Gaza offensive called "Gideon's Chariots", under which the IDF said it was "conducting extensive strikes and mobilising troops to achieve operational control in the areas of Gaza." The UN Secretary-General responded to the news by saying he was "alarmed by reported plans by Israel to expand ground operations and more." Separate to Israel's announcement of an expanded offensive, Euronews revealed the existence of documents dated December 2023 which revealed that creating a new entity in Gaza "the day after" a defeat of Hamas is one of the proposals the Israeli government has on the table. The meeting in Baghdad was the 34th Arab League Summit, where Arab leaders gather to address regional matters. The League was formed in 1945 and currently comprises of 22 members.
New Indian Express
17-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Arab leaders promise to work on reconstruction of Gaza and again press for a ceasefire
BAGHDAD: Arab leaders meeting at an annual summit in Baghdad said Saturday that they were trying to reach a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip and promised to contribute to the reconstruction of the territory once the war stops. In March, an emergency Arab League summit in Cairo endorsed a plan for Gaza's reconstruction without displacing its roughly 2 million residents. The summit in Baghdad was attended by Arab leaders including Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi. Among the guests were Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, who called for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza and the flow of aid into the besieged territory. He said that the U.N. rejects any 'forced displacement' of Palestinians. Saturday's summit comes two months after Israel ended a ceasefire reached with the Hamas militant group in January. In recent days, Israel has launched widespread attacks in Gaza and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed a further escalation to pursue his aim of destroying Hamas. 'This genocide has reached levels of ugliness not seen in all conflicts throughout history,' Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said in a speech that called for allowing aid to flow into Gaza. Al-Sudani added that Iraq will work on setting up an Arab fund for the reconstruction of the region in which Baghdad will pay $20 million for Gaza and a similar amount for Lebanon. El-Sissi said that Egypt, in coordination with Qatar and the U.S., is 'exerting intense efforts to reach a ceasefire' in Gaza, adding that the efforts led to the release of Israel-American hostage Edan Alexander. He said that Egypt plans to hold an international conference for the reconstruction of Gaza 'once the aggression stops.' Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on Hamas to abandon power in Gaza and along with other militant groups to hand over weapons to the Palestinian Authority. Hamas seized control of Gaza from Abbas' Western-backed Palestinian Authority in 2007, and reconciliation attempts between the rivals have repeatedly failed.
