Cairo, September 08 (QNA) - The Council of the League of Arab States at the ministerial level called for the completion of all phases of the Gaza Strip ceasefire agreement from the 2025 Sharm El-Sheikh Peace Summit and the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2803 (2025), commending the efforts of the State of Qatar and Egypt to halt the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people.

In the resolutions issued at its 166th regular session, held today at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States in Cairo, the Council called for the full implementation of all provisions of US President Donald Trump's plan and for all parties to fulfill their obligations under it, in a manner that ensures an end to the Israeli aggression, the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip and the ability of the Palestinian people to exercise their right to self-determination and realize the independence of their state.

The Council condemned the crimes of genocide, starvation, siege and aggression, as well as the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed and continuing to be committed by Israel, the occupying power, against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.

It also condemned the systematic and widespread Israeli policies and crimes against the Palestinian people in the occupied West Bank, including colonial settlement expansion; the encouragement, support and protection of terrorism and crimes by Israeli settler gangs; and their seizure of private and public Palestinian land and property to displace Palestinian citizens from their homes and lands through various forms of terrorism, including killing, arson, vandalism, abduction, torture, siege and the cutting off and closure of roads.

The Council of the League of Arab States at the ministerial level called on the UN Security Council to assume its responsibilities toward the effective implementation of Resolution 2334 (2016), to halt the policy of building and expanding illegal Israeli settlements and hold those responsible accountable.

The Council also condemned the aggressive decisions and measures taken by the Israeli occupation to advance its plans and policies to annex territories in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, impose Israeli sovereignty over them, forcibly displace Palestinians, demolish homes, seize private and public land and designate it as so-called state land, establish hundreds of additional military checkpoints and further entrench the division of the West Bank into isolated areas and cantons.

The Council affirmed that the implementation of Israeli plans to annex any part of the Palestinian territory occupied in 1967 constitutes a war crime. It considered the continuing Israeli aggression and occupation against the people and territory of the State of Palestine an infringement on Arab national security and an undermining of international peace and security, requiring the strengthening of joint Arab action to protect the Palestinian people through the activation and development of joint Arab defense mechanisms, including the activation of the Treaty of Joint Defense and Economic Cooperation among the States of the Arab League, within the framework of protecting the interests, security, sovereignty, territorial integrity and unity of Arab states, and in accordance with the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations.

It called on the UN Security Council to adopt a resolution under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter compelling the Israeli occupation to comply with relevant Security Council resolutions on the Palestinian issue, halt all forms of its aggression against the Palestinian people, and implement the orders and advisory opinions of the International Court of Justice.

The Council of the League of Arab States reiterated its categorical rejection of any form of displacement of the Palestinian people from their land or alteration of their demographic composition, including what Israel promotes under the term voluntary migration. It considered the displacement of the Palestinian people a form of genocide and ethnic cleansing and a grave violation of international law and resolutions of international legitimacy.

The Council affirmed its rejection of all measures and plans aimed at fragmenting the geographic and demographic unity of the Palestinian people, including any form of separation of the Gaza Strip from the occupied West Bank, the imposition of different systems in the Strip, or the use of terms such as New Gaza and people of Gaza. It stressed that the Palestinian people are one people wherever they are and that the Gaza Strip is an integral part of the territory of the State of Palestine.

It called for concerted efforts by the international community, including states and international organizations, to compel the Israeli occupation to end its illegal occupation of Palestinian territory within the borders and lines of Jun. 4, 1967, eliminate its consequences, and pay compensation for the damage caused by the occupation as soon as possible. It also called for the full implementation of the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice on Jul. 19, 2024, and UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/ES-10/24 of Sep. 18, 2024.

The Council affirmed that security and peace in the region can only be achieved by ending the Israeli colonial occupation of the territory of the State of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and of the occupied Syrian Golan. It called on the international community to take irreversible steps toward realizing the independence of the State of Palestine and implementing a political solution based on international law and relevant resolutions of international legitimacy.

It stressed adherence to the Arab Peace Initiative in all its elements and priorities as the unified Arab consensus position and the basis for any efforts to revive peace in the Middle East.

The Initiative stipulates that the prerequisite for peace with Israel and the normalization of relations with it is the end of its occupation of all Palestinian and Arab territories, including the occupied Syrian Golan and the remaining occupied Lebanese territories, the realization of the independence of a fully sovereign State of Palestine within the Jun. 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and the restoration of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to self-determination and the right of Palestinian refugees to return and receive compensation, as well as a just resolution of their issue in accordance with UN General Assembly Resolution 194 (1948).

The Council also stressed the need to implement the outcomes of the High-Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, held at United Nations Headquarters in New York in July and September 2025 under the chairmanship of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the French Republic, in a manner that ensures the continuation of the cessation of Israeli aggression and adherence to a political path toward a comprehensive and just peaceful settlement of the Palestinian issue in accordance with the relevant international terms of reference.

The Council affirmed its support for all measures taken by the Arab Republic of Egypt to confront the repercussions of the brutal Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip and to defend the rights of the Palestinian people and Egypt's national security, which constitutes an essential part of Arab national security. It also expressed support for Egypt's efforts to facilitate the immediate, sustained and adequate delivery of aid into the Gaza Strip.

The Council of the League of Arab States at the ministerial level, in the resolutions issued at its 166th regular session, condemned in the strongest terms the continued unlawful Iranian attacks against the states of the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Republic of Iraq.

The Council said the Iranian attacks were a flagrant violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of those states and a breach of the principles and provisions of international law and the Charter of the United Nations, including UN Security Council Resolution 2817, the principle of refraining from the use or threat of force, the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of states and the principles of good neighborliness, as well as a threat to regional and international peace and security.

It called on Iran to fully comply with its obligations under international law and relevant United Nations resolutions and to immediately and permanently cease any attacks or threats targeting Arab states, their territories, citizens, or civilian and vital facilities. At the same time, it called for addressing the causes of tensions through dialogue, negotiations and peaceful means in a manner that contributes to de-escalation and the achievement of regional security and stability.

The Council renewed its condemnation of Iran's unlawful closure of the Strait of Hormuz and its continued obstruction and disruption of navigation in Bab Al-Mandab, affirming that these actions pose a threat to the security of maritime corridors, international trade and global energy security.

It also stressed the need for Iran to refrain from taking any measures or issuing any threats that could endanger regional security, calling for any disputes to be addressed in accordance with international law and the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The Council also categorically rejected Iran's imposition of any fees, under any designation, on the passage of vessels through the strait, or the adoption of any unilateral measures aimed at subjecting freedom of navigation to Iranian regulatory or supervisory authority or establishing de facto authority over the strait, in contravention of international law and the principle of freedom of navigation.

The Council condemned in the strongest terms any attacks targeting commercial and civilian vessels, affirming Iran's responsibility to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and immediately and unconditionally restore freedom of navigation in accordance with international law, foremost by removing mines and obstacles to safe passage.

It also called for enhanced regional and international coordination to ensure the security and safety of maritime navigation.

It stressed the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz, Bab Al-Mandab and the Red Sea to international trade, energy supplies and global supply chains, noting that any attempt to disrupt navigation through them poses a threat not only to the countries of the region but also to economic and energy security at the international level.

The Council said that security and stability in the region could only be achieved through dialogue and understanding and respect for the principles of good neighborliness, sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs.

It called for an immediate halt to escalation and military action, for dialogue and diplomacy to prevail, and for support for all regional and international initiatives and efforts aimed at settling disputes through peaceful means in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of international law, in a manner that preserves the region's security and stability and safeguards the interests of all its states and peoples.

The Council of the League of Arab States at the ministerial level called on the UN Security Council to fulfill its responsibilities for maintaining international peace and security, support efforts aimed at halting escalation, ensure the full implementation of Resolution 2817 (2026), and take the necessary measures against any actions or threats that could obstruct freedom of navigation or threaten the security and safety of international waterways.

The Council affirmed that ensuring freedom of navigation was a shared international responsibility requiring action by the international community. It noted the readiness of Arab states to work with all countries in the region and the International Maritime Organization to ensure the unhindered flow of maritime traffic without obstacles, restrictions or arrangements that could undermine freedom of navigation, and to reach permanent arrangements consistent with international law, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the sovereignty of states and the principles of good neighborliness.

The Council reaffirmed the inherent right to individual or collective self-defense in response to armed attacks launched by Iran, as stipulated in Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations. It affirmed the right of Arab states to protect their vessels, ports, maritime installations, vital facilities and means of transportation and to take the necessary measures in this regard in accordance with international law.

The Council recalled that states may take purely defensive measures to protect their vessels and contribute to restoring freedom of navigation in accordance with international law, pursuant to paragraph 20 of the International Maritime Organization resolution issued in July 2026.

It affirmed that Iran bears international responsibility for the unlawful acts attributable to it and their consequences and, in accordance with the rules of international law, is obligated to provide reparation for the damage, injuries and economic losses resulting from them, including damage to vessels, ports, maritime installations and energy facilities. In this regard, it cited the same approach set out in Arab Resolution No. 9245 concerning responsibility and reparation.

The Council expressed full solidarity with the Arab states targeted by Iran, stressing the danger posed by Iran's continued provocative attempts to draw the targeted Arab states into the crisis. It also tasked Arab groups in international organizations, councils of Arab ambassadors, and Arab missions to the United Nations, the International Maritime Organization and other relevant international forums with taking urgent and coordinated action to convey the substance of this resolution and mobilize international support for protecting freedom of navigation and ensuring the security and safety of maritime waterways and energy corridors.

On the Syrian issue, the Council of the League of Arab States at the ministerial level condemned the incursion by Israel, the occupying power, into Syrian territory within the buffer zone with the Syrian Arab Republic, a series of adjacent positions on Mount Hermon, as well as additional areas in the governorates of Al Qunaitra, Rural Damascus and Daraa, and attempts to bring about demographic change in those territories.

The Council deemed this an additional occupation and a de facto annexation of Syrian territory, in violation of the provisions of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement between Syria and Israel, and a clear breach of the Charter of the United Nations and UN Security Council Resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973) and 497 (1981).

In the resolutions issued at its 166th regular session, the Council of the League of Arab States affirmed that the 1974 Disengagement Agreement between the Syrian Arab Republic and Israel, the occupying power, remains in force pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 350 (1974) and in accordance with the rules of international law, and therefore is not affected by the political change that Syria has undergone.

It stressed the importance of the continued role of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) and its monitoring of Israeli violations, as well as the obligation of the parties to the agreement to comply fully with all its provisions until Israel's complete withdrawal from the occupied Syrian Arab Golan.

It called on the United Nations to fulfill its responsibilities under the agreement and take immediate action to halt Israeli violations of its provisions.

The Council also condemned Israeli practices in the occupied Syrian Arab Golan, including the seizure and confiscation of agricultural land and the exploitation of natural resources, including underground resources, through oil exploration and extraction for the benefit of its economy. It also condemned the depletion of water resources through the drilling of wells, construction of dams, withdrawal of water from lakes and diversion of water for the benefit of settlers, thereby depriving Syrian farmers of vital water sources for irrigating their crops and watering their livestock.

It affirmed that these resources belong exclusively to the people of the occupied Syrian Arab Golan, in accordance with international charters, conventions and resolutions of international legitimacy.

The Council affirmed the Arab position of full solidarity with the Syrian Arab Republic and the Lebanese Republic and of standing alongside them in confronting the continuing Israeli attacks and threats against them, considering any attack against either country an attack against the Arab nation.

It called on the administration of US President Donald Trump to reverse the decision it previously took on Mar. 25, 2019, recognizing the sovereignty of Israel, the occupying power, over the occupied Syrian Arab Golan, adding that the decision invalid in both form and substance and a serious violation of the Charter of the United Nations, which does not recognize the acquisition of the territory of others by force, as well as of unanimously adopted Security Council resolutions, foremost among them Resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973) and 497 (1981).

These resolutions unequivocally reject recognition of Israel's annexation of the occupied Syrian Arab Golan, which constitutes a violation of the principles of international law and undermines efforts to achieve the comprehensive peace sought by the countries and peoples of the region.

The Council affirmed its support for the steadfastness of Arab Syrian citizens in the occupied Syrian Arab Golan and the additional territories in the governorates of Al Qunaitra, Rural Damascus and Daraa, and expressed its support for them in confronting the Israeli occupation, its repressive practices and attempts at Israelization and the erasure of Syrian Arab identity. It saluted their determination to remain attached to their land and identity.

It added that attempts to target Syrian citizens to strip them of their identity and force them to abandon their heritage, history and homeland are a blatant act of aggression that violates the rules of international law and relevant resolutions of international legitimacy. It reiterated the need to apply the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 to the citizens of the occupied Syrian Arab Golan and called on the international community to pressure Israel, the occupying power, to cease imposing Israeli citizenship and identity cards on Syrian citizens in the occupied Syrian Arab Golan and to immediately halt its repressive measures against them and all other practices that impede their enjoyment of their fundamental, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights.

The Council called on the United Nations, the Security Council and the Human Rights Council to ensure that Israel, the occupying power, respects the Fourth Geneva Convention and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and to work to facilitate visits by residents of the occupied Syrian Arab Golan to their families and relatives in their homeland, Syria, through the Al Qunaitra crossing and under the supervision of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The Council affirmed that the continued occupation of the Syrian Arab Golan since 1967 constitutes an ongoing threat to peace and security in the region and the world. It stressed adherence to resolutions of international legitimacy, particularly successive UN General Assembly resolutions on the occupied Syrian Golan, all of which affirm the applicability to the occupied Syrian Arab Golan of the 1949 Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War. It considered the imposition by Israel, the occupying power, of its laws, jurisdiction and administration on the Golan null and void and without any legal effect whatsoever.

The Council also called on the international community, international bodies and human rights organizations to pressure Israel, the occupying power, to immediately release Syrian prisoners from Israeli prisons and detention centers, ensure that they are treated in accordance with international humanitarian law, and work to expose and condemn Israeli violations of the rights of Syrian prisoners from the Golan.

It called for pressure on the Israeli occupation authorities to allow representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross, accompanied by specialist doctors, to visit Syrian Arab prisoners in Israeli detention centers to assess their physical and mental health and protect their lives. It considered their continued detention a flagrant violation of United Nations resolutions, international humanitarian law and the most basic principles of human rights.

The Council also reaffirmed all resolutions of international legitimacy concerning the occupied Syrian Arab Golan, including successive resolutions of the United Nations Human Rights Council, among them Resolution 58/26 of Apr. 5, 2025, on Human rights in the occupied Syrian Golan, and Resolution 58/28 of Apr. 5, 2025, on Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan.

The Council condemned the policies of the Israeli occupation government, which have destroyed the peace process and led to the continuing escalation of tensions in the region. It called on the international community to compel Israel, the occupying power, to implement United Nations resolutions concerning Israel's complete withdrawal from the occupied Syrian Arab Golan and all occupied Arab territories to the Jun. 4, 1967 line.

The Council tasked Arab information ministers with developing an integrated Arab media plan to confront illegal Israeli practices and violations in the occupied Syrian Arab Golan and highlight the repercussions of unlawful decisions taken by some countries in contravention of international conventions and relevant Security Council resolutions.

It also tasked the Arab Group in New York, in coordination with the delegation of the Syrian Arab Republic, with conducting the necessary contacts with states and regional groups to reaffirm the Arab position rejecting recognition by any state of the sovereignty of the Israeli occupation authority over the occupied Syrian Arab Golan, considering such recognition an illegal measure and a clear and unacceptable violation of relevant resolutions of international legitimacy and the Security Council.

The Arab League Council at the ministerial level stressed the importance of supporting the Lebanese government and providing it with the assistance needed to meet the needs of those affected by Israeli attacks, facilitate the return of displaced Lebanese to their cities and villages, secure the release of prisoners, and advance reconstruction efforts.

In this regard, the Council condemned Israeli attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, including bulldozing operations in southern villages and towns, as well as attacks targeting the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), describing them as a serious violation of the principles and rules of international law and international humanitarian law.

In resolutions adopted at its 166th regular session, the Arab League Council stressed its support for the Lebanese government's demands for an end to the Israeli occupation and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from all Lebanese territories under occupation, with a full withdrawal to beyond internationally recognized borders. It also reaffirmed its rejection of any Israeli attempt to impose a new reality by establishing a border strip or buffer zones inside Lebanese territory, and called on the UN Security Council and influential states to compel Israel to fully and comprehensively implement Resolution 1701 of 2006.

The Council called for mobilizing the necessary international support to provide assistance to the Lebanese Army and legitimate security institutions, with the aim of strengthening their defense and security capabilities and enabling them to implement the government's plan to ensure that weapons are held exclusively by the state.

It also called for strengthening their deployment and control throughout Lebanese territory up to Lebanon's internationally recognized borders, securing the country's land, sea and air border crossings, preventing smuggling and combating terrorism. 

The Council stressed that strengthening state authority, ensuring that weapons are held exclusively by the state throughout Lebanese territory, and consolidating stability, security and civil peace are key factors in ensuring the regular functioning of state institutions and strengthening their role as the sole guarantor of all Lebanese.

The Council supported the political and diplomatic efforts undertaken by the Lebanese state, under international auspices, to halt hostilities and compel Israel to withdraw to beyond internationally recognized borders.

It welcomed the announcement of a ceasefire under the joint statement issued by Lebanon, the United States and Israel on June 3, 2026, and the agreement reached through the trilateral framework on June 26, 2026, requiring Israel to fully withdraw from Lebanese territory, facilitate the return of displaced persons, undertake reconstruction and secure the release of prisoners, while committing the Lebanese state to extending its authority throughout its territory solely through its own forces.

The Council reiterated Lebanon's adherence to the armistice agreement signed with Israel on March 23, 1949, and to the Arab Peace Initiative adopted by the Arab Summit in Beirut in 2002.

The Council stressed the importance of continuing the safe, sustainable and dignified return of the remaining displaced Syrians to their country, in cooperation and coordination between the governments of the two countries. It affirmed that displacement is a shared international responsibility and not merely a local responsibility arising from geographic proximity.

The Council reaffirmed its rejection of Israeli calls to abolish the work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and undermine its humanitarian and political role. It stressed the need for donor countries to fund the agency and protect its role, mandate and powers, considering it a fundamental pillar in supporting refugees and safeguarding their right to return from Lebanon and other host countries, as part of a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue.

The Council of the Arab League at the ministerial level also reaffirmed its full solidarity with the Republic of Yemen and its support for Yemen's sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and the security of its airspace.

It expressed its condemnation of Iranian violations of Yemen's sovereignty and the integrity of its airspace, and rejected all practices that constitute violations of international law and the principles of good-neighborliness.

The Council called on Iran to immediately halt all activities or measures that violate the sovereignty of the Republic of Yemen or threaten the integrity of its airspace, and to comply with international law and the Charter of the United Nations.

It reaffirmed the inherent right of the Republic of Yemen to exercise full and exclusive sovereignty over its territory, territorial waters and airspace, and to take all lawful measures necessary to protect that sovereignty in accordance with international law.

The Council also called on the international community, particularly the Security Council, the United Nations and relevant international and regional organizations, to assume their responsibilities and take the necessary measures to ensure respect for the sovereignty of the Republic of Yemen, prevent the recurrence of such violations and hold those responsible accountable.

It called on all states and regional and international organizations not to engage with any flights, air operations or arrangements concerning the Republic of Yemen outside the framework of coordination with and explicit approval by the legitimate Yemeni government, in accordance with international law and relevant Security Council resolutions. (QNA)