The Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, traveled to Moscow today, Sunday, to hold talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov regarding the situation in Gaza after the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) launched its largest attack on Israel in years. An Arab League spokesperson stated that Aboul Gheit would discuss "the ongoing escalation in the Gaza Strip."
The Palestinian News Agency (WAFA) reported that the Palestinian Authority submitted a memorandum today, Sunday, calling for an urgent meeting of the Arab League at the level of foreign ministers. WAFA quoted the Permanent Representative of the State of Palestine to the Arab League, Ambassador Muhannad Al-Aklouk, stating that the request for the meeting comes in light of the "brutal and ongoing Israeli aggression against our Palestinian people, including the escalation of incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque by thousands of settlers and Israeli officials over the past few days."
Morocco has also called for an urgent meeting of the Arab League Council at the level of foreign ministers to discuss and coordinate concerning the deteriorating situation in the Gaza Strip. The Moroccan News Agency reported that, "by instructions from King Mohammed VI, the Kingdom of Morocco, chairing the current session of the Arab League Council, has called for an urgent meeting of the council at the level of Arab foreign ministers."
The purpose of the meeting, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccans Abroad stated, is "to consult and coordinate on the deteriorating situation in Gaza and the outbreak of military operations targeting civilians, and to seek ways to stop this dangerous escalation." The ministry clarified that "intensive consultations are underway to hold the meeting this week at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo."
