Mr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, received the United Kingdom's Foreign Secretary James Cleverly at the League's headquarters in Cairo on 19 October.
The spokesperson for the Secretary-General said that the two officials exchanged their perspectives on the ongoing Israeli war on the Gaza Strip and the alarming escalation taking place. The Secretary-General emphasised the imperative role of the international community in taking responsibility for exerting pressure on Israel to halt its criminal actions against innocent civilians in the Gaza Strip. These actions include the recent bombing of the Baptist Hospital, which resulted in the loss of hundreds of innocent lives, primarily children, as well as the forced displacement of residents from the northern part of the Strip to the south. Mr. Aboul Gheit pointed out that these actions amount to collective punishment and equate to war crimes in violation of international humanitarian law, all of which are closely monitored by the League's agencies.
Mr. Aboul Gheit and Cleverly agreed on the necessity of opening humanitarian corridors to facilitate the delivery of aid to the residents of the Gaza Strip and underscored the importance of ensuring their complete protection, the spokesperson added.
Cleverly stressed the collective responsibility to put an end to the ongoing war, highlighting that the continued violence poses a threat to regional stability. He further expressed his country's priority, which is to secure the release of British nationals held hostage.
The Secretary-General reiterated that the political deadlock of the conflict and the perpetuation of the occupation are the root causes of these events. He noted that the extent of violence reached makes the prospect of achieving peace increasingly elusive.
