Foreign ministers from 31 Arab and Islamic nations, joined by leaders of the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the Gulf Cooperation Council, issued a joint statement condemning Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks promoting the concept of “Greater Israel.”
The ministers warned that such rhetoric poses a direct threat to Arab national security, regional stability, and international peace.
The statement denounced Netanyahu’s comments as a grave violation of international law and a destabilizing affront to the principles of the UN Charter.
It reaffirmed the collective commitment of Arab and Islamic nations to peaceful diplomacy and the rejection of force-based domination.
The ministers also condemned Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s approval of the E1 settlement plan and his rejection of Palestinian statehood, describing both as racist provocations and illegal acts that undermine Palestinian sovereignty.
They reiterated that Israel has no legitimate claim over any part of the occupied Palestinian territories and called for an immediate halt to all Israeli colonialist activity.
Citing UN Security Council Resolution 2334 and the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, the statement emphasized the illegality of Israel’s occupation and the urgent need for its termination.
The ministers warned of the escalating violations in the West Bank and Gaza, including settler terrorism, military invasions, and the destruction of refugee camps, and condemned the targeting of religious sites and the forced displacement of Palestinians, calling these acts war crimes and violations of human dignity.
In response to the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, the statement demanded an immediate ceasefire, the lifting of the blockade, and unrestricted access for humanitarian aid.
The ministers held Israel fully responsible for the collapse of Gaza’s health and relief infrastructure and rejected any form of forced displacement.
They reaffirmed Gaza’s status as an inseparable part of the occupied Palestinian territory and supported the Palestinian Authority’s governance over Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, under the political framework of the Palestine Liberation Organization.
Finally, the ministers called on the international community, especially permanent members of the UN Security Council, to compel Israel to end its aggression, halt incitement, and ensure protection for the Palestinian people.
They demanded accountability for war crimes committed against the Palestinians, especially in Gaza, and reiterated the Palestinian right to an independent, sovereign state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
On Friday, August 15, day 679 of Israel’s ongoing slaughter of the 2.3 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, and wholesale destruction of all infrastructure and homes in the Strip, Israeli forces continued their attack on civilians in north, south and central Gaza.
The death toll from the Israeli occupation forces’ genocidal war and aggression on the Gaza Strip has risen to 61,827 killed and 155,275 wounded since October 7, 2023.
Medical sources reported on Friday that the death toll includes 10,300 killed and 43,234 injuries since March 18, when the Israeli occupation resumed its aggression on the Gaza Strip following Israel’s violation of the ceasefire agreement made in late January.
Over the past 24 hours, 51 killed, including two who were recovered, and 369 injured people arrived at Gaza Strip hospitals as a result of the ongoing Israeli massacres and attacks . Ambulance and civil defense crews are finding it difficult to reach the victims, as a large number of them are still under the rubble and debris, and in the streets.
