Mr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, welcomed Ms. Sigrid Kaag, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Chief Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs and Reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, at the League of Arab States headquarters on 3 March. During the meeting, she provided a detailed overview of the humanitarian situation in the Strip amid ongoing Israeli aggression and the blockade affecting over two million Palestinians.
Gamal Roshdy, the spokesman for the Secretary-General, said that the discussion centred on the severe deterioration observed in the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip over recent weeks, along with the proposed plans for aid delivery.
The spokesman quoted Mr. Aboul Gheit as emphasising during the meeting that withholding essential life-saving aid from the Palestinians is tantamount to a death sentence and collective punishment. He underscored that the international community bears responsibility for this tragedy due to the tacit approval granted by some major powers to Israel, allowing it to engage in aggression in this reprehensible and dehumanising manner.
The spokesman added that the UN official discussed with Mr. Aboul Gheit several ideas related to directing aid and the associated difficulties due to Israeli intransigence. They both agreed that the urgent return of the Palestinian Authority to the Gaza Strip is necessary for reconstruction. The Secretary-General reiterated that the current priority is to achieve an immediate ceasefire, halt the bloodshed, and prevent famine for the Palestinians in Gaza.
