Ambassador Hossam Zaki, Assistant Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, stated that the current Arab priority is to establish ceasefire arrangements to halt the bloodshed of Palestinians in Gaza and facilitate their return to homes and areas abandoned due to the Israeli war. This statement was made during the Assistant Secretary-General's participation in a session titled "Building Peace in the Middle East" on 2 March at the third Antalya Diplomacy Forum, organised by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Ambassador Zaki joined as a key speaker alongside Dr. Riyad Al-Maliki, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Palestine, Mr. Abdullah Bou Habib, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lebanon, and Sheikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, First Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs of Bahrain.
In response to a question, Ambassador Zaki emphasised that labelling the Arabs and their League as failures in stopping Israeli aggression is an unfair assertion. He pointed out that the entire international community shares responsibility for this failure, particularly the UN Security Council, which has been unable to take a decisive stance against Israeli aggression and compel Israel to halt it. He clarified that Arab initiatives for a ceasefire, humanitarian aid, and a comprehensive agreement are ongoing and have not concluded.
Ambassador Zaki stressed the crucial need for strong political will from influential countries in the international community, particularly the United States, to halt the war in collaboration with ongoing Arab efforts.
He urged capable international actors to unite in efforts to neutralise the elements of political extremism within Israeli society, recognising their detrimental impact on the prospects of achieving a two-state solution, which remains the sole viable path to resolving the conflict.
