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Khaleej Times

UAE, over 20 other countries hold Israel 'responsible for genocide' in joint summit

After Israel announced that it intends to impose full military control over the Gaza Strip, UAE and over 20 other countries have condemned the "dangerous and unacceptable escalation which constitutes a violation of international law". The countries, along with two organisations, issued a statement during the Extraordinary Joint Arab-Islamic summit on developments in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli announcement is "an attempt to consolidate the illegal occupation and impose a fait accompli by force in contravention of relevant international legitimacy resolutions," according to the statement. Israel has continued gross violations and crimes against humanity, based on "killing, starvation, attempts at forced displacement, annexation of Palestinian land, and settler terrorism." With the Palestinian people facing a blockade for 22 months, all aspects of life have been affected in the Gaza strip, along with violations in West Bank and East Jerusalem, the countries said. Such announcements "dispel any opportunity for achieving peace, undermines regional and international efforts to calm the situation and end the conflict." Steps to be taken The joint summit held the " Israeli occupation fully responsible for genocide", and called for immediate action on different fronts in order to achieve peace: The need for an immediate and comprehensive halt to the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, and the ongoing violations committed by the occupying forces against civilians and infrastructure in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. The demand that Israel, as the occupying power, immediately and unconditionally allow the entry of humanitarian assistance at scale into the Gaza Strip — including food, medicine, and fuel — and ensure the freedom of operation of relief agencies and international humanitarian organisations, in accordance with international humanitarian law and its applicable principles. Support for the ceasefire efforts undertaken by Egypt, Qatar, and the US, to reach an agreement to exchange prisoners and hostages, as a fundamental humanitarian approach to de-escalation, alleviate suffering, and end the Israeli aggression. The need to work to immediately begin implementing the Arab-Islamic plan for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, and to call for active participation in the Gaza Reconstruction Conference scheduled to be held in Cairo soon. Path to two-state solution The countries participating in the summit rejected attempts to displace the Palestinian people from their land in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. After an Israeli minister stormed the Al Aqsa Mosque compound, the summit reiterated the need to preserve the legal and historical status quo in the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, while recognizing the essential role played by Jordan in this regard. "We work to ensure immediate accountability for all violations committed by Israel against international law and international humanitarian law, including those amounting to genocide," according to the statement. The members of the joint summit also called on the international community, particularly the permanent members of the Security Council, to take urgent action to halt Israel's aggressive policies. They emphasised that "a just and lasting peace can only be achieved through the implementation of the two-state solution, ensuring the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the June 4, 1967, lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the principles of international law and relevant United Nations resolutions." The summit also underscore the need to implement urgent, operational time-bound measures to end the war in Gaza, which was published in a document after a high-level international conference on Palestine. Members of the summit The Ministerial Committee assigned by the Extraordinary Joint Arab-Islamic summit on developments in the Gaza Strip includes: Bahrain Egypt Indonesia Jordan Nigeria Palestine Qatar Saudi Arabia Turkey United Arab Emirates Bangladesh Chad Djibouti Gambia Kuwait Libya Malaysia Mauritania Oman Pakistan Somalia Sudan Yemen The League of Arab States The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation