Ashraf AboArafe
The Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Mr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, delivered a powerful address at the international meeting convened by France, stressing the need to translate the principles of the New York Declaration into concrete, practical steps aimed at ending Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, ensuring the immediate entry of humanitarian aid, and laying the foundations for reconstruction and stability.
At the outset of his speech, Aboul Gheit emphasized that any arrangements for the “day after” in Gaza must align with the implementation of the two-state solution. This, he noted, requires the restoration of the Palestinian Authority’s role in Gaza to maintain the indispensable geographic and political link between Gaza and the West Bank as a single territorial entity embodying the Palestinian state. He added that this necessitates a gradual but decisive deployment of Palestinian Authority forces in Gaza to assume responsibilities for internal security, law, and order.
In his second point, the Secretary-General underlined the imperative of a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza without any territorial deductions under the pretext of buffer zones or other legally and politically unfounded arguments.
The third point strongly reiterated the Arab League’s categorical rejection of any form of forced displacement, stressing that the Palestinian people will remain on their land in Gaza and cannot be driven out—despite what Aboul Gheit described as “Israel’s exposed plans.”
Finally, Aboul Gheit called for the establishment of a temporary force, under a clear mandate from the UN Security Council, to provide transitional stability. This force, he explained, must work in close coordination with the Palestinian Authority to monitor the ceasefire, ensure Israel’s complete withdrawal, and prepare the ground for the immediate launch of reconstruction efforts.
The Secretary-General concluded his address by reaffirming the Arab League’s unwavering commitment to supporting the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, stressing that “peace can only be achieved through the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.”
