Manama / Rafah — On Thursday, the Arab League called for the deployment of a United Nations peacekeeping force in the Palestinian territories amid escalating conflict. This comes as Israel announced plans to intensify its ground offensive in Rafah, defying international warnings.
In a concluding statement from their meeting in Manama, the 22-member Arab League advocated for “international protection and peacekeeping forces of the United Nations in the occupied Palestinian territories” until a two-state solution is realized. The group also echoed calls by Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas for an international conference under UN auspices to address the Palestinian issue on the basis of a two-state solution.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, speaking at the summit, described the ongoing war in Gaza as “an open wound that threatens to infect the entire region,” emphasizing that a two-state solution is the only sustainable path to ending the cycle of violence and instability.
This summit marks the first assembly of the bloc since an extraordinary meeting in Riyadh last November, which included leaders from the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas criticized Hamas for providing Israel with a pretext to wage war on Gaza following its October 7 attack. “The military operation carried out by Hamas by a unilateral decision on that day, October 7, provided Israel with more pretexts and justifications to attack the Gaza Strip,” Abbas stated. He also expressed frustration over the lack of financial support from international and regional partners for his government.
In a tragic incident of friendly fire, the Israeli army reported that five soldiers from the 202nd Paratrooper Battalion were killed in Jabalia on Wednesday when two Israeli tanks accidentally shelled their building. “Five soldiers of the 202nd Paratrooper Battalion were killed last night in a mass casualty incident as a result of fire by our forces,” the military confirmed.
On Thursday, Israeli tanks advanced into the heart of Jabalia in northern Gaza. Meanwhile, the United States facilitated aid deliveries by anchoring a temporary floating pier to a beach in Gaza.
The situation continues to develop as international calls for peace and stability grow louder in response to the ongoing conflict.
Published in cherrygb, May 17th, 2024