The Arab League Council has issued a decision calling on the Security Council to take action under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter to compel Israel to stop the war in Gaza. During its meeting at the ambassadorial level today, it warned against any Israeli military operation in Rafah, which is home to over 1.5 million displaced Palestinians. The Council confirmed in a statement following the meeting that "an invasion of Rafah will be considered an aggression against Arab national security as a whole and will lead to the collapse of peace opportunities and the expansion of conflict in the region."
The Council emphasized its support for Syria’s right to defend its territory following the targeting of the Iranian consulate in Damascus yesterday. Arab League representatives urged the international community to take responsibility for the reconstruction of Gaza and to "establish an international fund to care for 17,000 orphaned children and provide medical and psychological support for amputee children."
Additionally, the Council condemned the Israeli attack on a convoy of the "World Central Kitchen" organization in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, resulting in the deaths of 7 of the organization’s workers. In its decision, the Council called on "all countries, parliaments, civil society, unions, and federations concerned with human rights and international law, as well as inviting the Human Rights Council, to take urgent action to prosecute Israeli officials for their heinous crimes against Palestinian civilians, children, and women."
