Arab States Condemn Targeting of Civilians in Gaza

Foreign ministers from the UAE, Jordan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, and Morocco condemned the targeting of civilians and violations of international law in the Gaza Strip, which is under Israeli bombardment. In a statement, the foreign ministers emphasized that "the right to self-defense enshrined in the UN Charter does not justify gross violations of international law and humanitarian law, or the deliberate disregard for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people." They denounced the forced displacement and collective punishment in Gaza, asserting that "the lack of a political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has led to a repetition of violence and suffering for the Palestinian and Israeli peoples and the peoples of the region." The ministers underscored the necessity of "quick, genuine, and collective efforts to resolve the conflict and implement the two-state solution based on relevant UN resolutions, ensuring the establishment of an independent, sovereign, contiguous, and viable Palestinian state along the pre-June 4, 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital."