Arab League: The Arab League on Wednesday called on the international community to take an immediate and decisive position to halt the ongoing Israeli war in Gaza and Lebanon and prevent its spillover into the region, noting the efforts of Arab states in supporting the environmental situation in Palestine and Lebanon and galvanizing the international support to counter the Israeli occupation’s practices against those countries.

According to Qatar News Agency, in a statement to mark the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict, which falls on Nov. 6 each year, Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the Economic Affairs Sector at the Arab League, Ambassador Dr. Ali bin Ibrahim Al Maliki, stated that environmental issues in Arab states afflicted by environmental disasters are a foremost topic followed by the General Secretariat of the Arab League.

The Arab League has made a significant move by issuing a decision from the sixth session of the United Nations
Environment Assembly (UNEA-6) concerning the environmental situation in regions affected by armed conflict. This decision includes providing technical and logistical assistance to Lebanon to counter the systematic devastation of critical infrastructure arising from Israeli aggression and curb environmental deterioration.

Dr. Al Maliki emphasized that the main purpose of dedicating an international day to preventing the exploitation of the environment in war and armed conflict is to underscore the importance of protecting the environment, as this practice could have ripple effects on future generations. He added that observing this day is significant given the ongoing conflict in the Arab region, such as the dangerous military escalation in the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in numerous casualties, devastated residential structures, and the loss of innocent civilians. The conflict now threatens to expand to Lebanon, underscoring the need to prioritize environmental protection at a humanitarian level.