Arab-Islamic Ministerial Committee. Photo: Egyptian foreign ministry
In a joint statement, the committee called on Israel to allow the immediate, adequate, and sustained entry of humanitarian and medical aid into the Gaza Strip.
It also urged Israel to grant access to UN aid agencies, particularly the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), to deliver aid across the strip.
Additionally, the committee called for an end to the dangerous Israeli escalation in the West Bank, strongly condemning Israel’s obstruction of the ministerial delegation’s visit to Ramallah.
It described the Israeli action as a violation of diplomatic norms and a reflection of a dangerous policy aimed at hindering the committee’s efforts to achieve a just and comprehensive peace and support the Palestinian government’s reform agenda.
“This action was, regrettably, consistent with the Israeli government’s extremist policies, which continue to block humanitarian aid from entering Gaza and obstruct broader peace efforts,” the statement said.
Gaza reconstruction efforts
During a virtual meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the committee highlighted its international efforts aimed at securing an immediate end to the Israeli aggression on Gaza, lifting the blockade, and ending the humanitarian crisis.
It also touched on the ongoing preparations to ensure the success of the upcoming UN International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution.
The high-level conference, scheduled to be held in New York this June under the joint chairmanship of Saudi Arabia and France, aims to advance the realization of an independent Palestinian state based on the 4 June 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Furthermore, the committee emphasized the importance of convening the upcoming Cairo International Conference on Early Recovery and Reconstruction of Gaza immediately after a ceasefire is reached.
According to the statement, the Cairo conference will implement the Arab-Islamic plan for the early recovery and the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.
Supporting Palestinian Authority
During the meeting, the committee also reiterated the importance of supporting the Palestinian Authority (PA) and praised President Abbas's reform measures.
For his part, Abbas praised the committee’s efforts to mobilize international support for ending the war in Gaza, alleviating the humanitarian crisis, and advancing the implementation of the two-state solution.
He reiterated his hope for the success of the upcoming UN conference and expanding international recognition of the Palestinian State.
Abbas further affirmed the Palestinian government’s commitment to its reform programme, calling for coordinated international support across the political, economic, and security dimensions to reinforce these efforts.
He also called on Israel to release the Palestinian funds it is unlawfully withholding.
In addition, he reaffirmed his commitment to rejecting violence and the targeting of civilians and to working toward peace and security in cooperation with Arab states and international partners, expressing his eagerness to meet the ministerial delegation in person soon in Palestine.
Earlier Sunday, the ministerial committee convened in the Jordanian capital of Amman. It included Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty, Saudi FM Faisal bin Farhan, Jordanian FM Ayman Safadi, Bahraini FM Abdullatif Al-Zayani, and Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit.
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