RIYADH, The extraordinary 43rd meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council foreign ministers on Tuesday thoroughly deliberated the escalation in the Gaza Strip and its huge ramifications on the region.
In a press statement, the GCC Secretary Jasim Al-Budaiwi said that the foreign ministers reviewed the developments in the Palestinian territories in light of the Israeli occupation’s escalating violence and indiscriminate and illegal bombing of residential neighborhoods in the Gaza Strip which left thousands of civilians dead or injured.
They discussed the Israeli plans to expel Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and the enormous challenges facing the region due to such acts, Al-Budaiwi said.
Addressing the conferees, the GCC chief emphasized the centrality of the Palestinian cause for the GCC countries.
He reiterated the GCC support for the Palestinian people rights and calling for the implementation of the relevant UN resolutions. He deplored the repeated Israeli encroachments on Palestinians and their rights.
Al-Budaiwi held the Israeli occupation authorities responsible for the deteriorating situation in the Gaza Strip.
He regretted the silence of the international community towards such Israeli violations, stressing that such silence must end.
The GCC chief renewed his call to the international community to take swift action to protect the Palestinian people and immediately stop all forms of military escalation against defenseless civilians in the Gaza Strip.
He called for lifting the siege on the densely-populated Strip and providing its people with the humanitarian, relief and medical needs.
Al-Budaiwi underlined the need to allow the evacuation of the injured people as per the international law and the international humanitarian law stipulate.
He voiced categorical rejection of Israeli plans to evict Gaza Strip and forcibly displace its people, dismissing them as a breach of the basic human rights and the international norms.
He re-affirmed the GCC support to the Palestinian people and the GCC efforts to find a lasting, comprehensive and peaceful solution to the conflict to help the Palestinian people restore its legitimate rights.
He called for resolving the Palestinian cause through the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on June 4, 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Kuwait was represented in the meeting by a delegation headed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. (end) kns.ibi
Source: Kuwait News Agency