DUBAI: Palestine dominated the agenda as Arab League foreign ministers met in Cairo on Thursday, with leaders calling for an end to Israeli settlement activity and reiterating support for the establishment of a Palestinian state.
The session focused on efforts to persuade more Western countries to recognize Palestinian statehood and to halt what ministers described as “Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip.”
UAE Minister of State Khalifa bin Shaheen Al-Marr urged an immediate end to “displacement and colonization in Palestinian territories,” adding that the UAE has presented an official roadmap for establishing a Palestinian state.
He also underscored the importance of stability in Libya and Syria, welcomed Lebanon’s decision to restrict weapons to state control, and called on the international community to shoulder its responsibilities toward Yemen.
Al-Marr further pressed for greater Arab economic cooperation, expanded partnerships, and a unified stance on peace and counter-terrorism at what he described as “a very dangerous moment” in the region.
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi echoed the centrality of Palestine, describing joint Arab action as “a necessity that should be placed at the top of our priorities.”
He reaffirmed Jordan’s support for Lebanon’s stability and Syria’s reconstruction while warning against “plans to divide” Syria.
Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit delivered some of the strongest remarks, condemning Israeli policies and voicing support for Palestine, Lebanon, and Sudan.
He said the Cairo talks were being held at a “delicate and dangerous time.”
Aboul Gheit accused Israel of seeking to “liquidate the Palestinian cause and erase the Palestinian entity,” describing the war in Gaza as a “genocidal war” aimed at eliminating Palestinian statehood.
He urged urgent action to stop what he called a massacre in Gaza and said defending the two-state solution was “a defense of the future of the region.”
He also criticized Washington for refusing visas to a Palestinian delegation to attend the UN General Assembly, calling the decision a violation of international obligations.
On Lebanon, Aboul Gheit praised the government’s “courageous” decision to restrict weapons to state authority, calling it essential for stability.
He also condemned Israeli violations in Lebanese territory and urged the US to pressure Israel to halt them.
Addressing Sudan, he warned there was “no alternative to a ceasefire” to preserve the country’s unity and end what he described as one of the region’s worst humanitarian crises.
