Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met in Moscow on Tuesday with the ministerial committee assigned by the Arab-Islamic Summit of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to discuss the situation in the Gaza Strip.

The committee stressed the need to stop the war on the Gaza Strip and put an end to Israeli violations of international law, calling on the Security Council to assume its responsibility in stopping attacks on the Palestinians, stressing that this is a priority for all Arab and Islamic countries.

The members of the committee pointed out the importance of immediately lifting the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip, releasing prisoners and hostages, and reactivating a serious and just peace process that enjoys the support of international legitimacy authorities.

The members of the Ministerial Committee called on the international community to fulfill its responsibility by rejecting all forms of selectivity in applying international legal and moral standards, and turning a blind eye to the heinous crimes committed by the Israeli occupation forces against defenseless Palestinian civilians, the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem.

They pointed out that the Israeli occupation’s continued violation of the rules of international law and non-compliance with international legitimacy resolutions, the latest of which was the Security Council resolution last week, weakens the legitimacy of the international system, the credibility of its defenders, and its ability to maintain regional peace, security and stability in the future, and also fuels the motives of extremism and violence.

The members of the Ministerial Committee stressed the importance of immediately allowing the delivery of humanitarian and food aid, water, fuel, and electricity to Gaza, which is a moral and legal responsibility for the entire international community, noting that depriving the people of Gaza of the basic requirements of life is a clear violation of international humanitarian law, especially the Convention. Fourth Geneva, transgressing all humanitarian values and principles.

The meeting was attended by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Al-Safadi, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki, and Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Hussein Ibrahim Taha.

Lavrov said in his speech that Russia “shares the assessments of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation regarding the need for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip,” adding that “Russia is against terrorism in all its forms, and it must be combated without violating international humanitarian law.”

Lavrov stressed that "the volume of humanitarian aid entering Gaza is insufficient, and now the main priority is to stop hostilities, release the hostages, and resolve humanitarian issues," saying that Russia "calls for the start of preparations to resume the negotiation process to establish a Palestinian state at the present time."

Regarding the Arab role, the Russian minister said, “The Quartet of mediators in the Middle East did not include representatives from the Arab world, so it failed in its functions, as regional countries should also be represented in the mechanism for resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.”

Pointing out that the United Nations neglected to involve Arab countries in peace efforts, he expressed his country's readiness to establish a mechanism to secure the conditions for a permanent solution in accordance with the two-state solution.

Lavrov stressed that "it is necessary to return to the Arab Peace Initiative and achieve the goal of establishing a Palestinian state according to a diplomatic mechanism in which the countries of the region participate."

In turn, Shukri considered that “the continuous bombing of the displaced in the southern Gaza Strip has a clear goal, which is to force the residents of the Strip to leave it,” stressing that Egypt “clearly announced its rejection of any attempt to displace the Palestinians.”

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry announced that Egypt "Prepared a new draft resolution to be presented to the Security Council on behalf of the Arab and Islamic groups, to address the existing imbalance in the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza."

Egyptian Minister Sameh Shoukry said during the meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister: “We appreciate the support that Russia has provided to the Palestinian cause, and we encourage you to do more in the Security Council, to reach a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.”

Shukri asked: “How many Palestinian civilian casualties must fall in order for Israel’s goal in this war to be achieved?”

For his part, the Saudi Foreign Minister stressed the necessity of a ceasefire in Gaza, lifting the siege, releasing prisoners, and delivering aid, considering that the crimes committed against the Palestinian people angered the Arab and Islamic worlds.

He said: "It is necessary to activate the international accountability mechanism because Israel's crimes undermine the global order and threaten more violence."

Yesterday, Monday, the ministerial committee assigned by the Arab Islamic Summit, concerned with developing an international move to stop the war on Gaza, began a global tour to formulate an international position, and its first stop was China.

Source: Alaraby Aljadeed