Laith Al-Jnaidi and Mohammad Sio
23 March 2025•Update: 23 March 2025
- Committee also reiterates commitment to 2-state solution
CAIRO
The Arab-Islamic Ministerial Committee on Sunday expressed “deep concern” over the breakdown of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, according to a statement released after a meeting in Cairo with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.
The announcement followed discussions between foreign ministers from Jordan, Palestine, Qatar, Egypt, Türkiye, Indonesia, Bahrain, and the UAE’s minister of state, alongside the secretaries-general of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
The committee underscored the urgency of addressing the latest developments in the occupied Palestinian territories.
It expressed “deep concern” over the Gaza ceasefire breakdown, which has led to significant civilian casualties from recent airstrikes.
Participants deplored “the targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure," urging “an immediate return to the full implementation of the ceasefire agreement, including the release of hostages and detainees," the statement said.
They emphasized the need to advance to the second phase of the agreement, as outlined in UN Security Council Resolution 2735.
The UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2735 on June 10, 2024, calling on Hamas to accept a proposed agreement for a prisoner exchange and a ceasefire aimed at halting the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza.
The group demanded “swift, sustainable, and unobstructed delivery of humanitarian aid across Gaza, alongside the restoration of essential services like electricity and water desalination plants, with all restrictions lifted,” the joint statement said.
The ministers welcomed an Arab Gaza recovery and reconstruction plan presented at a Cairo summit on March 4, later endorsed by the OIC and supported by the European Council.
Importance of unifying Gaza and West Bank
They stressed that the plan “ensures Palestinians remain on their land," rejecting any forced displacement from Gaza or the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and warning of “serious consequences," the statement said.
The committee called on the international community to mobilize resources for a forthcoming Gaza recovery conference in Cairo, though no date was specified to address the dire situation.
They underscored the importance of unifying Gaza and the West Bank under the Palestinian National Authority, enabling it to govern effectively, and reaffirmed Gaza’s status as an integral part of the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, in line with international law and UN resolutions supporting a two-state solution.
The group voiced alarm over Israeli military incursions in the West Bank, illegal settlement activities, home demolitions, and settler violence, which undermine Palestinian rights and prospects for a just peace, the statement said.
They rejected unilateral attempts to alter Jerusalem’s legal and historical status and reiterated their commitment to a two-state solution, with Israel and Palestine coexisting in peace, based on UN resolutions, the Madrid terms of reference, and the Arab Peace Initiative.
The committee reiterated its commitment to holding an international conference under the auspices of the UN in New York, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, to advance these objectives.
The Israeli army has launched a surprise aerial campaign on Gaza since Tuesday, killing more than 700 Palestinians, injuring over 1,000 others, and shattering a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement that took hold in January.
More than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and more than 113,200 injured in a brutal Israeli military onslaught on Gaza since October 2023.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
