Doha: HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani chaired the 45th meeting of the Ministerial Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in Doha, held in light of the military escalation and developments in the Middle East.

In a statement, the Council said that it reviewed the serious developments and escalating tensions that undermine the security and stability of the region, including those in the sisterly Republic of Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, the serious violations in the West Bank, the threats to the Al Aqsa Mosque and religious sanctities, and the rising tensions between Israel and Iran.

The Council condemned the escalation in Lebanese and Palestinian territories and warned of the serious repercussions of this escalation, which extend beyond this region to a wider circle, posing a threat to international peace and security and undermining efforts for peace and security in the region and the world. It emphasised the necessity of protecting t
he region’s security and preventing the expansion of the conflict.

The Council called on all parties involved in this escalation to exercise restraint, cease violence, and prioritise dialogue. It also urged the international community to fulfill its responsibilities to maintain security and stability in the region and to implement international legitimacy resolutions related to the area.

Regarding Lebanon, the Ministerial Council affirmed the GCC’s support for the brotherly Lebanese people in all its components during this critical phase. It called for intensifying international and regional efforts to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to Lebanon to alleviate the suffering of civilians and protect them from any serious repercussions. The Council also urged restraint, avoiding involvement in regional conflicts, and preventing the expansion of the conflict in the region.

The Council stressed the necessity of implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701, related international resolutions, and the Tai
f Agreement, to restore lasting security and stability in Lebanon and ensure respect for the integrity of its territory, political independence, and sovereignty within its internationally recognised borders.

The Ministerial Council underscored the contents of the joint ministerial statement issued on Sep. 25, 2024, by the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the State of Qatar, the United States of America, and several other countries, which calls for an immediate ceasefire for 21 days along the Blue Line that marks the southern border of Lebanon, and for pursuing a diplomatic settlement to avert the danger of regional war.

The Council welcomed the statement issued on Sep. 27, 2024, in New York, from the emergency ministerial meeting of the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to discuss the escalation of Israeli military attacks against the State of Palestine and the Republic of Lebanon.

Regarding Palestine, the Ministerial Council affirmed the GCC’s support for the
brotherly Palestinian people, condemning the Israeli aggression against Gaza and the West Bank. It called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the lifting of the siege imposed on the Strip, and the release of hostages and detainees. The Council emphasised the importance of opening all crossings immediately and unconditionally, ensuring the delivery of all relief, humanitarian, medical supplies, and basic needs to the residents of Gaza, in accordance with international law and international humanitarian law.

The Council reiterated the contents of the joint statement issued on Aug. 8, 2024, by HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, HE President of the Arab Republic of Egypt Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, and HE President of the United States Joe Biden, regarding the necessity of achieving a ceasefire, the release of hostages and detainees in Gaza, and the call to resume negotiations.

The Council affirmed its full support for ongoing efforts to achieve a ceasefire and address the deteriorat
ing humanitarian conditions in Gaza, praising the constructive role played by the GCC countries with their strategic partners, especially the United States, in de-escalating tensions, enhancing security and stability, protecting maritime navigation in the region, and ensuring its security, stability, and prosperity.

The Council called on the Security Council to implement its resolutions No. 2735, 2712, and 2720, which call for an immediate, complete, and total ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the release of hostages, the exchange of prisoners, the return of civilians to their homes, the safe and effective distribution of humanitarian aid on a large scale, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Strip.

The Ministerial Council emphasised the importance of the efforts of the Ministerial Committee chaired by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which was formed by the extraordinary joint Arab-Islamic summit to stop the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people, as well as to mobilise international support for
the State of Palestine in its quest for recognition by more countries, in addition to supporting its bid for full membership in the United Nations, and to convene an international peace conference.

The Ministerial Council welcomed the outcomes of the international meeting held in New York on Sep. 26, 2024, to support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). It underscored the importance of supporting the agency in light of the critical humanitarian conditions, ensuring that it can continue its work in providing essential needs for the Palestinian people. The Council also acknowledged the generous assistance and support provided by the member states to the agency’s activities.

The Ministerial Council reaffirmed the centrality of the Palestinian cause, the need to end Israeli occupation, and the support for the sovereignty of the Palestinian people over all Palestinian territories occupied since June 1967. It called for the establishment of an independent Pal
estinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative and international legitimacy resolutions. The Council urged all countries to complete their recognition of the State of Palestine.

The Ministerial Council expressed its support for the outcomes of the Ministerial Meeting held by the committee chaired by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which was formed by the extraordinary Arab-Islamic summit in collaboration with the Kingdom of Norway and the European Union, and the launch of the “The Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-state Solution” to realise the Palestinian state, in accordance with relevant UN resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.

The Council welcomed the adoption by the General Assembly on Sep. 18, 2024, of the resolution “Ending the Unlawful Presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories,” and praised the General Assembly’s decision regarding Palestine’s eligibility for full membership in the United Nations. It called on the Security Cou
ncil to swiftly issue a resolution granting the State of Palestine full membership in the UN. The Council also welcomed the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice on July 18, 2024, which affirmed the illegality of the measures taken by the Israeli occupation to establish facts that exceed international legitimacy regarding the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.

The Ministerial Council concluded its meeting by reiterating its warning about the escalating tensions in the region and their serious implications for regional and international peace and security. It called once again for the importance of de-escalation, exercising maximum restraint, and preventing further instability and the dangers of wars and destruction and their effects on the peoples of the region and the world.

Source: Qatar News Agency