This year’s celebration is themed “Promoting the One Health Approach”…reports Asian Lite News
The League of Arab States has stressed the importance of implementing the “One Health” approach at national, regional, and global levels to ensure a healthy, safe, and dignified life for humans while also safeguarding animal and environmental health, thereby reducing the risk of disease outbreaks and epidemics.
This was stated in a press release issued by the League today on the occasion of Arab Health Day, observed annually on 4th September.
This year’s celebration is themed “Promoting the One Health Approach”, which is approved by the Council of Arab Ministers of Health at its 60th regular session held on 26th May 2024 in Geneva, which included approval of the Arab Republic of Egypt’s request to host the celebration.
Ambassador Dr. Haifa Abu Ghazaleh, Assistant Secretary-General and Head of Social Affairs Sector at the League of Arab States, emphasised that the “One Health” approach is an integrated strategy aimed at achieving a balance between human and animal health. It relies on the close links between these fields to establish new methods for monitoring and controlling diseases, ultimately improving global health.
She noted that this approach comes as a lesson learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, which was a human health crisis resulting from a virus transmitted from animals to humans.
She stressed the importance of supporting cooperation and coordination among different sectors in member states to close the gaps in implementing the “One Health” approach, especially as health systems alone cannot address health epidemics and pandemics.
She added that the Council of Arab Ministers of Health is working to enhance this approach by adopting various strategies, activating the work of its affiliated committees, and strengthening partnerships with all stakeholders to mitigate public health threats, in addition to collaborating with partners in international organisations to achieve this goal.
Egypt and the Arab League welcomed the ICJ’s call to end “unlawful” Israeli presence i in occupied Palestinian territories, reports Asian Lite News
Egypt and the Arab League welcomed the call of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to end Israel’s “unlawful” presence in the occupied Palestinian territories.
In a statement, Egypt’s foreign ministry called upon all international parties to uphold and implement the ICJ’s advisory opinion, emphasising the need to facilitate the Palestinian people’s legitimate right to self-determination, Xinhua news agency reported.
Earlier in the day, the top UN court issued a non-binding opinion declaring Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem as violations of international law, urging Israel to withdraw from the occupied territories “as rapidly as possible.”
Egypt also urged the UN General Assembly and Security Council to take necessary measures to end Israel’s presence in Palestinian territories, underscoring the collective responsibility of all nations to alleviate the plight of the Palestinian people and halt ongoing Israeli violations and attacks in Gaza.
Meanwhile, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States (AL) Ahmed Aboul-Gheit echoed Egypt’s sentiments, welcoming the ICJ’s advisory opinion in a separate statement.
Aboul-Gheit asserted that the court’s opinion serves as a crucial legal foundation for affirming the Palestinian narrative, providing it with necessary legitimacy and legal credibility amid Israel’s attempts to distort the conflict’s nature and origins.
The Arab League chief emphasised the advisory opinion’s substantial legal and moral weight as compelling evidence to counter Israeli arguments, highlighting its pivotal role in the ongoing discourse.
However, Israel rejected the ICJ’s opinion. In a press statement on Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded that “the legality of Israeli settlements in all the territories of our homeland cannot be contested.”
He emphasised Israel’s historical connection to the land, stating that “the Jewish people are not conquerors in their own land.”
The ICJ issued the advisory opinion in response to a request from the UN General Assembly regarding the legal implications of Israel’s occupation.
The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution in December 2022 seeking the ICJ’s opinion on the legal consequences of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem.
Israel captured the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Middle East war and has controlled them ever since, despite international protests over its occupancy in these areas.
Arab League chief affimed that the Knesset rejection of Palestinian State aims to legitimise the occupation apartheid and normalise the desecration of holy sites, which undermine the two-state solution….reports Asian Lite News
Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit condemned the announcement issued by the Israeli Knesset, rejecting the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Aboul Gheit stressing that this announcement and the invalid justifications it contained only expose the true intentions of the Israeli occupation towards the Palestinian people and their legitimate rights, foremost of which is the establishment of their independent state on their land occupied since June 4, 1967.
Jamal Rushdi, the official spokesman of the Arab League’s Secretary-General, said the announcement coincided with the storming of the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque by extremist Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
Aboul Gheit affimed that the Knesset rejection aims to legitimise the occupation apartheid and normalise the desecration of holy sites, which undermine the two-state solution and rejects the peace that the international community seeks.
Meanhile, Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned the Israeli Knesset’s move.
Ministry spokesperson Sufian Qudah said on Thursday that the decisions and actions issued by Israel do not change the reality of its occupation of Palestinian territories, nor do they affect the continued applicability of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, related to the protection of civilians in times of war, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a statement by the ministry.
Qudah stressed that Israel’s ongoing efforts to deny the inalienable right of Palestinians to their independent and sovereign state do not bring security and peace to the region, calling on the international community to stop Israel’s actions, as well as its continued offensive against the Gaza Strip, the statement said.
Also on Thursday, the ministry condemned Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s visit to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem.
The ministry said it considered this action as provocative, which reflects the continuation of the Israeli government in its unilateral measures and systematic policies that disregard international laws and Israel’s obligations as the occupying power in occupied Jerusalem.
Qudah called on the international community to condemn these violations and provide necessary protection for the Palestinian people in light of the Israeli government’s ongoing offensive in the Gaza Strip.
UN chief ‘disappointed’ by Knesset
UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed disappointed by the decision of the Israeli Knesset.
In a statement, Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General, said:”As he (Guterres) has said many times, he believes that ending the occupation and negotiating a two-State solution where Israel and an independent democratic, contiguous, viable and sovereign Palestinian State living side by side in peace and security within secure and recognized borders based on 1967 lines, with Jerusalem as the capital of both States, is the only viable path to a sustainable peace for the people of Israel and for the people of Palestine.”
‘’So, the motion passed is for us clearly inconsistent with the UN resolutions, international law and prior agreements. And he once again calls on the Israelis and all sides, frankly, [not] to do anything that takes us further away from the two-State solution,” he added.
Israeli administrative and legal steps are also “steadily altering” the geography of the occupied West Bank, said António Guterres in a statement before the UN Security Council’s open debate on the ongoing crisis in Gaza yesterday.
He briefed the council on two military orders issued at the end of May, which transferred powers to a civilian deputy in Israel’s Civil Administration.
“This move is another significant advance in the ongoing transfer of authority over many aspects of daily life in the occupied West Bank”, he said.
“If left unaddressed, these measures risk causing irreparable damage…we must change course. All settlement activity must cease immediately. Israeli settlements are a flagrant violation of international law and a key obstacle to peace.”
“The seizure of large land parcels in strategic areas and changes to planning, land management and governance are expected to significantly accelerate settlement expansion,” he added.
Israel to maintain control of Rafah crossing
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made a surprise visit to Gaza’s Rafah, pledging to uphold Israeli control over the Rafah crossing and the entire Gaza-Egypt border, even if a ceasefire-hostage agreement is reached.
Netanyahu on Thursday received briefings from commanders in Rafah, which Israeli ground forces have seized since early May, and observed the “Philadelphia Corridor”, the border area between Gaza and Egypt, Xinhua news agency reported.
“I got here stronger in the understanding that our control of the Philadelphia Corridor and the Rafah crossing is essential for the future,” Netanyahu said in a video statement, surrounded by soldiers.
He noted that next week he will travel to Washington to address the US Congress, adding that he will present the “righteousness” of the controversial ongoing Israeli onslaught in Gaza.
Netanyahu made the statement as an Israeli delegation was in Cairo for more talks on the agreement. The control over the Rafah crossing and “the Philadelphia Corridor” is a major sticking point in the talks. Israeli officials, including Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, have said that Israel would agree to withdraw from the area under a deal that would secure the release of about 120 hostages still held in Gaza.
Aboul Gheit said that migration to and from the Arab region contributes to shaping the social and economic reality of the region…reports Asian Lite News
Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, affirmed that the Arab world is one of the regions directly affected by the major threats of climate change and natural disasters.
He noted that Arab and global awareness of environmental migration issues has increased over the past decade, which was reflected in the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.
Aboul Gheit highlighted the valued Arab efforts and initiatives presented during the last two sessions of the Conference of Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which were held in the Arab region, specifically in Egypt and the UAE.
He said this in his speech during the Second Regional Review Conference of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration in the Arab region, held today at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States. The conference was attended by Amy Pope, Coordinator of the United Nations Network on Migration and Director-General of the International Organisation for Migration, and Rola Dashti, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA).
Aboul Gheit said that migration to and from the Arab region contributes to shaping the social and economic reality of the region, its neighbourhood, and the world as a whole. It also gains special importance today more than ever in this region which hosts an estimated 41.4 million migrants and refugees and the origin of around 32.8 million migrants and refugees.
The “Bahrain declaration” calls for the deployment of UN peacekeepers to the occupied territories, until a lasting two-state solution to the Palestinian cause is found….reports Asian Lite News
The Arab League Summit in Bahrain concluded yesterday with the “Bahrain Declaration,” a comprehensive statement addressing the Palestinian cause.
The declaration calls for the deployment of UN peacekeepers to the occupied territories, until a lasting two-state solution to the Palestinian cause is found.
The final communiqué also discussed the conflicts in Libya, Sudan, Syria and Yemen, among other points.
In more detail, the summit adopted calls by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to “convene an international conference under the auspices of the United Nations, to resolve the Palestinian issue on the basis of the two-state solution.”
The declaration called for an “immediate” ceasefire in Gaza and an end to forced displacement in the Palestinian territory.
The convening leaders underscored the need to immediately halt the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, the withdrawal of the Israeli occupation forces from all areas of the Strip, the lifting of the siege imposed on it, the removal of all obstacles and the opening of all crossings for the entry of adequate humanitarian assistance throughout it, and enabling United Nations organisations, especially the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) to operate, and to provide them with financial support to carry out their responsibilities freely and securely.
They reiterated categorical rejection of any attempts to forcibly displace the Palestinian people from their land in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
The declaration condemned the Israeli forces’ control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah Crossing and called on Israel to withdraw from Rafah, in order to ensure safe humanitarian access.
The Declaration also urged “all Palestinian factions to join under the umbrella of the Palestine Liberation Organisation. It added that it considered the PLO “the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.
It strongly condemned the attacks on commercial ships, saying they threaten freedom of navigation, international trade, and the interests of countries and peoples of the world. The Declaration affirmed the Arab nations’ commitment to ensuring freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and surrounding regions.
ICJ holds hearing
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) opened its two-day hearings regarding South Africa’s request to halt Israel’s military offensive in Gaza.
South Africa’s Ambassador to the Netherlands Vusimuzi Madonsela told the judges that his country has returned to the court “due to the continuing annihilation of the Palestinian people, with over 35,000 now killed, and most of Gaza reduced to rubble”, Xinhua news agency reported.
“Israel continues to show utter contempt for Palestinian life, operating with impunity,” he said, explaining the reason behind South Africa’s continued call for the protection of “the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people.”
Since its initial application to the ICJ on December 29, 2023, South Africa has made subsequent requests in February and March 2024 for additional “provisional measures” to halt Israel’s “persistent acts of genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza.”
In the renewed request, Ambassador Madonsela emphasized the escalating “gravity of the situation in Gaza” and “the destruction of Gaza on a scale not witnessed since World War Two.”
Madonsela urged the court to order Israel to cease its military operations in Gaza, including in Rafah, and withdraw its troops from the entire Gaza Strip.
Additionally, the ambassador called for Israel to take “all effective measures” to ensure unimpeded access to Gaza for the United Nations and humanitarian aid.
Israel’s argument will be presented to the ICJ on Friday, with a judgment expected in the coming weeks.
Mariam Khalifa Al Kaabi, UAE Ambassador to Egypt and Permanent Representative to the Arab League, headed the UAE delegation
UAE Ambassador Mariam Khalifa Al Kaabi affirmed that the UAE continues to mobilise efforts to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip….reports Asian Lite News
The United Arab Emirates participated in an extraordinary meeting of the Arab League Council regarding Palestine, which was held in Cairo, Egypt.
Mariam Khalifa Al Kaabi, UAE Ambassador to the Arab Republic of Egypt and Permanent Representative to the Arab League, headed the UAE delegation.
In her speech at the Arab League headquarters, Ambassador Al Kaabi affirmed that the UAE continues to mobilise efforts to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
Al Kaabi underscored the UAE’s dedication to provide protection for civilians, extend humanitarian aid, and collaborate with partners to work towards a comprehensive peace solution.
During her address, Al Kaabi highlighted the proactive stance of the UAE’s leadership, which has engaged in numerous diplomatic and humanitarian initiatives in support of the Palestinian cause.
She emphasised the success of the UAE’s non-permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council, during which resolutions 2712 and 2720 were adopted.
Al Kaabi highlighted that the UAE strongly condemns Israel’s policy of collective punishment against Palestinians and reiterated the UAE’s rejection of any attempts to displace them. She stressed the nation’s unwavering focus on safeguarding civilian lives, providing essential relief and medical aid to Gaza residents, and preventing further escalation that could threaten regional stability.
The extraordinary meeting, at the level of permanent representatives of member states in the Arab League and convened at the request of Palestine with the backing of Arab countries, discussed Israeli actions against the Palestinian people. Discussions also centred on potential political, legal, and economic measures to be supported within the Arab League framework.
The meeting highlighted the escalating Israeli offenses in the West Bank, the systematic destruction of infrastructure in Palestinian refugee camps, daily raids in dozens of cities, villages, and camps, the killing and injuring of hundreds of Palestinian citizens, the demolition of homes, and the inhumane detention of thousands.
Qatar’s new peace initiatives
Qatar, the chief negotiator in the Israel-Hamas war, has said it is getting replies from both Israel and the Hamas as it engages in serious discussions with them to find a new solution to end the war that includes a two-state formula.
The war has so far killed over 20,000 Palestinians and 2,000 Israeli soldiers in a span of over 100 days.
Qatar said it’s engaged in “serious discussions” with Israel and Hamas and is receiving “constant replies” from both sides. But statements made by Israeli officials “lead to a harder mediation process”, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Majed Al-Ansari, said in a news conference on Tuesday.
“Obviously, when one side says they don’t accept the two state-solution and that they won’t stop this war eventually… it leads to a harder mediation process,” Al-Ansari pointed out.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected global calls, including from the US, for Palestinian sovereignty following talks with US President Joe Biden about Gaza’s future, suggesting Israel’s security needs would be incompatible with Palestinian statehood.
Communication breakdown and the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza has impacted the talks from yielding results, media reports said.
But mediation is in full swing with Qatar exchanging ideas between both sides, Al-Ansari said.
“Our negotiators are working around the clock to exchange these ideas, a lot of these media reports are either missing elements or completely false,” he said in response to news reports that Israel offered a two-month ceasefire to Hamas as part of a prospective hostage deal.
Meanwhile, the situation around the Khan Younis hospitals is deteriorating amid intense shelling, the United Nations said.
The UN says that the situation at hospitals in the Khan Younis area of southern Gaza has deteriorated as Israeli military operations in the area have expanded, CNN reported from Gaza.
“Reportedly, Israeli forces struck the vicinity of Al-Amal hospital and the ambulance headquarters, as intense fighting continued in the area, including dozens of casualties,” the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Tuesday, adding that it estimated that “13,000 displaced people who have taken shelter in Al Amal Hospital and the PRCS [Palestinian Red Crescent Society] headquarters were unable to leave”.
OCHA cited humanitarian partners as saying that people in the vicinity and in the Al Kheir area east of Al Mawasi had lost access to the health facility, reports said.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed that it had surrounded Khan Younis and instructed civilians to leave several districts and move towards the coast, which it described was “safer”.
Roads leading to Al-Amal hospital were closed due to ongoing shooting by IDF in Khan Younis, the PRCS said on Tuesday. Separately, the UN relief agency in Gaza said that one of its shelters in the Khan Younis area had been hit.
At least six displaced people were killed and many more injured during intense fighting around the shelter. Terrified staff, patients and displaced people are now trapped inside the few remaining hospitals in Khan Younis as heavy fighting continues,” the agency’s director, Phillipe Lazzarini, said on X.
Dr. Mahmoud Fathallah, Director of the Arab League’s Department of Environmental Affairs and Meteorology and Head of Pavilion said the Arab region is facing a major challenge: desertification.
Inaugurating its debut at a UN Climate Change Conference, the League of Arab States Pavilion at COP28 has introduced three novel climate initiatives: the circular economy, nature-based solutions, and biodiversity.
Dr. Mahmoud Fathallah, Director of the Arab League’s Department of Environmental Affairs and Meteorology and Head of Pavilion, made this announcement in a statement to the Emirates News Agency (WAM). He described desertification, drought, and food security as the most prominent challenges resulting from climate change in the Arab region.
Looking ahead to future cooperation on climate issues within the Arab world, Fathallah announced that the next meeting of the Council of Arab Ministers Responsible for the Environment, scheduled for October 2024, will focus on participation in the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP 16), set to take place in Saudi Arabia in December 2024.
He said the Arab region is facing a major challenge: desertification. This environmental phenomenon has already impacted an area of approximately 9 million square kilometres, representing a staggering 68% of the total landmass in Arab countries. The Maghreb region in Africa bears the brunt of this issue, with over half (53.4%) of its land affected by desertification. Additionally, a further 3.6 million square kilometres are considered at risk, according to the Joint Arab Economic Report 2022.
He added that Arab countries will be convening in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for preparatory meetings in advance of the sixth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6). Scheduled for February 26th to March 1st, 2024, in Nairobi, Kenya, UNEA-6 presents a crucial opportunity for international collaboration on environmental issues.
He stated that specialised Arab organisations, acting as the technical arm of the League of Arab States, are playing a vital role in this fight. They are actively involved in preparing studies and reports on desertification and the Convention on Biological Diversity. The Arab Organisation for Agricultural Development (AOAD), in particular, is dedicated to equipping Arab experts with the knowledge and skills needed to address these pressing environmental concerns.
Fathallah stated that the AOAD, in cooperation with the League of Arab States, held a high-level regional dialogue on the sidelines of its participation in COP28 under the title “Addressing the interrelated challenges of climate change, peace and food security in the Arab region with a focus on fragile societies and countries in conflict.”
He pointed out that the dialogue made it clear that the Arab region is the most water-scarce and the most dependent on food imports in the world, with high rates of malnutrition in the region, noting that the overexploitation of the region’s resources has led to a severe deterioration in ecosystems.
Fathallah stated that the Arab countries have approved national programmes and policies that have been integrated into their development programmes to mitigate the effects of climate change and adaptation plans.
The League of Arab States (LAS) and the United Nations (UN) collaborate to promote peace, security, and economic development, while also advancing human rights and political inclusion….report Asian Lite News
The League of Arab States on Tuesday commemorated the ‘International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People’ at the Palestinian Embassy in New Delhi.
The League of Arab States (LAS) shares a common mission with the United Nations (UN): promoting peace, security and stability by preventing conflict, resolving disputes and acting in a spirit of solidarity and unity. In doing so, the two organisations also work together to expand economic opportunity, advance respect for human rights and build political inclusion.
Meanwhile, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ruchira Kamboj, recently said that India advocates for the resumption of direct negotiations towards establishing a sovereign, independent and viable state of Palestine.
Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly informal discussions on the humanitarian situation in Palestine on Monday, Kamboj said, “India’s consistent position of achieving a just, peaceful and lasting solution to the Israel-Palestine issue. India has always advocated the resumption of direct negotiations towards establishing a sovereign, independent and viable state of Palestine.”
Kamboj, welcoming the international efforts to ensure further de-escalation of the conflict, also affirmed that India opposes terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and is clearly against violence.
She said, “India welcomes all efforts by the international community that strive towards a de-escalation of the conflict and enables the delivery of urgent humanitarian assistance to the people of Palestine.”
She added, “The message from our leaders has been clear and consistent – we are firmly opposed to terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, clearly against violence and are on the side of adherence to international humanitarian law and ensuring that further escalation is prevented, humanitarian aid delivery continues, all hostages are released unconditionally and all parties work towards an early restoration of peace and stability. Towards this, we also welcome efforts for humanitarian pauses.”
Kamboj highlighted that India has already delivered 70 tonnes of disaster relief materials, including medicines and medical supplies, to the people of Palestine.
She stated, “We are also firm in our commitment to provide humanitarian aid to the people of Palestine and have already delivered 70 tonnes of disaster relief materials including 17 tonnes of medicines and medical supplies in two tranches and our humanitarian support continues.
Similarly, India continues to play an active role as a Member of the Advisory Commission of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).”
Israel announced war against Hamas after it launched an attack on Israel on October 7 and killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, with around 240 people taken hostage, according to Israeli officials. (ANI)
The meeting will be held at the request of Palestine and headed by Morocco, the current president of the Arab League Council at the ministerial level….reports Asian Lite News
Arab foreign ministers will hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday to discuss ways to stop the ongoing conflict between Palestinians and Israelis, the Arab League (AL) has announced.
The meeting will be held at the request of Palestine and headed by Morocco, the current president of the AL Council at the ministerial level, the pan-Arab body stated.
Participants of the meeting are scheduled to discuss political action at the Arab and international levels to tackle the conflict, according to the AL.
Hamas on Saturday launched a surprise attack on Israeli towns adjacent to the Gaza Strip, prompting Israel to launch retaliatory strikes on Gaza.
Israel’s state-owned Kan TV reported on Monday that the death toll from Hamas’ attack on southern Israel rose to more than 900.
The death toll and injuries from Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip have risen to 687 and 3,726, respectively, according to the latest update by the Palestinian Health Ministry on Monday.
Gaza Under Siege
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have “more or less” restored full control over the border fence with Gaza, after it was breached by Hamas militants following its October 7 surprise attack, a military official said.
Addressing a briefing, IDF spokesman Lt. Col. Richard Hecht said: “Looking towards the south, we have more or less restored full control over the border fence. Hopefully in the next few hours it will be final.”
Hecht said Israeli forces have secured communities around the border and have nearly completed evacuations in the area, adding that there were two small firefights overnight in the Sa’ad and Kissufim communities.
“We are focusing our offensive in the Gaza Strip and our airstrikes,” CNN quoted the spokesperson as saying.
In his address, Hecht also advised any Palestinians leaving Gaza to go to Egypt.
“I am aware that the Rafah crossing is still open,” the BBC quoted the IDF official as saying.
“Anyone who can get out, I would advise them to get out”.
On Monday, the IDF said that the military had regained control over all the communities in southern Israel.
In a separate statement on Tuesday morning, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) claimed that it has hit 200 Hamas and other militant group targets in Gaza in overnight airstrikes.
H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, UAE
Abdullah Calls Counterparts
UAE Foreign Minister H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan has discussed the ongoing developments in the region over telephone calls with Sergey Lavrov, Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation; Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al Jaber Al Sabah, Foreign Minister of Kuwait; Eli Cohen, Foreign Minister of Israel; and Yair Lapid, leader of the opposition in Israel.
The UAE top diplomat reviewed with them the ongoing de-escalation efforts and underscored the importance of protecting civilians from the consequences of the current crisis.
During the telephone calls, Sheikh Abdullah stressed that the current situation requires urgent action from all active international parties to reduce tensions and prevent further deterioration of the situation.
He stressed the need to exercise the highest levels of wisdom, de-escalate tensions and restore stability in the region, which, Sheikh Abdullah said, can only be achieved through a comprehensive, just peace, and sustainable security.
The UAE foreign minister has met with his UK counterpart James Cleverly in London. He underscored the seriousness of the escalation that began in Gaza and its role in increasing tensions in the region and threatening its security and stability.
The two sides stressed the importance of coordination between all active international parties to contain the current crisis through all possible means and solutions, as well as to address all provocative actions that aim to destabilise the region and threaten its peoples.
Assoumani felt this would also give a boost to India-Comoros relations…reports Asian Lite News
Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit on Sunday welcomed the admission of the African Union (AU) as a permanent member to the Group of 20 (G20).
Aboul Gheit hailed the decision as a positive step that would benefit both sides and contribute to strengthening African countries’ role in global economic development.
Arab League Secretary-General stressed that this step will enhance Africa’s ability to contribute to solving pivotal global issues such as climate change, energy security, food security, and other issues.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who hosted this year’s G20, met Comoros President and African Union chief Azali Assoumani on the sidelines of the G20 summit.
Assoumani thanked Modi for his initiative and efforts in making the African Union a permanent member of the G20. He shared his particular pleasure that this had occured during India’s G20 presidency, considering India’s role and links with Africa, official sources said.
Assoumani felt this would also give a boost to India-Comoros relations.
He also congratulated the Prime Minister for the success of India’s G20 presidency. Modi congratulated the African Union on joining the G20 and highlighted India’s efforts to articulate the Voice of Global South and recalled the Voice of Global South Summit convened by India in January 2023.
Both leaders also had an opportunity to discuss their bilateral partnership. They expressed satisfaction at the numerous initiatives underway, and discussed opportunities for cooperation in areas like maritime security, capacity building and development partnership.
Earlier on Sunday, Assoumani, addressing a press conference after the summit, said: “To my great satisfaction, admission of African Union was approved during the G20 summit. Prime Minister Modi and other members endorsed the accession of the African Union to this major economic decision-making body. As we all know that India is the 5th superpower in the world so there is enough room for India in Africa. We also know that India is so powerful that it went to space. So we just need to coordinate. India is a superpower in terms of inhabitance, and now India is ahead of China.”
