His Excellency Mr Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), participated, upon a kind invitation from His Excellency President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, in the Extraordinary Arab Summit hosted by the Arab Republic of Egypt today, Tuesday, March 4, 2025, in the Egyptian capital, Cairo.
At the beginning of his speech, His Excellency the Secretary General expressed his thanks and appreciation to His Excellency President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, for Egypt's hosting of the Extraordinary Arab Summit (Palestine Summit) to discuss developments in the Palestinian issue, and to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the King of the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Chairman of the current session of the Council of the League of Arab States at the summit level, for his tireless efforts and blessed endeavors to hold this summit, which His Majesty made with his brothers, the leaders of all Arab countries, for the sake of the Palestinian cause. "These efforts reflect a profound wisdom, a deep sense of responsibility, and a clear dedication to the primary concern of the Arab and Muslim world," His Excellency stated.
His Excellency the GCC Secretary General said that the participation of the GCC in this emergency Arab Summit affirms the steadfast positions of the GCC countries in supporting the Palestinian cause, especially in light of the rapid and dangerous developments the Palestinian cause is currently undergoing.
"We meet today at a time when there is an unprecedented escalation against our brothers in Palestine, where daily crimes are committed against them, and they face continuous attempts to obliterate their identity. Here, we affirm our firm position rejecting these violations and dangerous attempts, which affect the foundations of regional and international security," His Excellency pointed out.
He also affirmed that the GCC countries have always strived, together with their Arab brothers, for peace, and have extended their hand to just solutions that preserve rights and protect Palestinian dignity, and have presented initiatives and mediations to establish a lasting and just peace in the region.
"However, the problem has never been the absence of solutions, but rather the absence of will on the part of the Israeli occupation to accept the logic of justice and fairness, and to abide by international law and treaties that govern relations between countries," His Excellency explained.
Moreover, His Excellency expressed the GCC's strong condemnation of the extremist calls to annex the occupied West Bank, forcibly displace Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and reoccupy it, and build new settlements.
His Excellency pointed out that these practices are violations of international law, international treaties and laws, and Security Council resolutions, and are systematic attempts to impose a new reality by force and obstruct any opportunity to achieve a just and comprehensive peace in the region.
Moreover, His Excellency stressed during his speech that the rights of the Palestinian people will not lapse with time, and that a just and lasting peace will only be achieved by returning to the logic of reason and accepting the principle of peaceful coexistence, and through the Arab Peace Initiative and full support for Arab and international efforts aimed at achieving a just and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue, foremost of which are the efforts led by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through the launch of the "Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution," based on the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and the initiatives announced at the Arab Summit held in the Kingdom of Bahrain, calling for the convening of an international peace conference in the Middle East, with the aim of establishing an independent and sovereign Palestinian state, and strengthening international efforts to recognise the Palestinian state and accept its full membership in the United Nations.
He also underscored the GCC's support for the Arab Summit's initiative to deploy international peacekeeping forces affiliated with the United Nations in the occupied Palestinian territory, until the two-state solution is implemented, and to ensure the protection of the Palestinian people from continuous violations.
In conclusion, His Excellency indicated the GCC's emphasis on the need to immediately end the blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip, open all crossings immediately and without conditions, ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid, relief, and medical supplies to meet the basic needs of the residents of the Gaza Strip, and ensure the continued operation of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), in light of the critical humanitarian conditions, to carry out its tasks of providing the basic requirements for the Palestinian people.
