Arab League Summit Underscores Commitment to Gaza Reconstruction and Palestinian Statehood
An emergency Arab League summit held in Cairo has reaffirmed its dedication to supporting the Palestinian people and rebuilding Gaza following recent conflict. The summit, hosted by Egypt in coordination with Bahrain (current chair of the Arab League Council) and the Arab League Secretariat, emphasized the crucial role of the Al-Quds Committee, chaired by His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco, and its executive arm, the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Asharif Agency.
The summit produced the “Cairo Declaration,” outlining a comprehensive Arab plan for the early recovery and reconstruction of Gaza. This plan, developed in close collaboration with Palestine and other Arab nations, aims to provide robust financial, material, and political support. The declaration urges the international community and global financial institutions to swiftly contribute to the plan’s implementation. Crucially, it stresses that these reconstruction efforts must run parallel with a renewed political process aimed at achieving a just and lasting solution, ultimately realizing the Palestinian people’s legitimate aspirations for statehood and peaceful coexistence. This aligns with the broader international focus on sustainable development goals, particularly those related to peace, justice, and strong institutions (SDG 16). https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal16
A key element of the Cairo Declaration is its emphasis on fully implementing the ceasefire agreement, holding all parties, especially Israel, accountable for their commitments. The summit welcomed Palestine’s decision to establish a Gaza administration committee, comprised of qualified individuals from the region, under the umbrella of the Palestinian government. This interim committee will operate concurrently with efforts to empower the Palestinian National Authority’s return to Gaza. Furthermore, the summit called upon the UN Security Council to deploy international peacekeeping forces to ensure the safety and security of both Palestinians and Israelis in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. This deployment, the summit emphasized, should be part of a broader strategy to strengthen the political horizon for the realization of a Palestinian state. This echoes similar calls for international peacekeeping presence in conflict zones around the world, often seen as a crucial step towards stability and rebuilding.
The Arab League also tasked a joint Arab-Islamic ministerial committee with communicating the Gaza reconstruction plan to international capitals and advocating for the Palestinian people’s right to remain on their land. This outreach underscores the Arab League’s commitment to garnering international support for the Palestinian cause.
While the summit’s outcomes were widely welcomed by participating Arab nations, particularly Palestine, the Algerian Foreign Minister’s address was marked by tension. This followed the Algerian President’s decision to boycott the summit, alleging exclusion from pre-summit arrangements. Algerian media subsequently downplayed the summit’s achievements and criticized the composition of the Saudi Arabia-led ministerial committee tasked with monitoring developments in the Palestinian issue. On the sidelines of the summit, the Algerian delegation reportedly sought to form a regional bloc with Tunisia and Libya, potentially to obstruct Arab efforts to find a swift political solution for the Gaza crisis. This highlights the complex political dynamics within the Arab League and the ongoing challenges in achieving a unified approach to the Palestinian issue.
The Cairo Declaration represents a significant step towards addressing the urgent needs of the Palestinian people and rebuilding Gaza. However, the long-term success of these efforts hinges on sustained international support, a commitment to a meaningful political process, and overcoming internal divisions within the Arab League itself. The international community must now step up and translate these commitments into concrete action to ensure a brighter future for the Palestinian people.
