Last year was, according to the UN, the deadliest in the occupied West Bank since 2005
From the headquarters of the Arab League in Cairo, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas yesterday Sunday asked the international community to “protect” the Palestinians against Israel, “which has crossed all red lines”, while the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is on track sharpening.
Last year was, according to the UN, the deadliest in the occupied West Bank since 2005: AFP recorded in Israel and the Palestinian territories 235 dead, 90% of whom were Palestinians.
So far this year, at least 47 Palestinians and nine Israeli citizens have lost their lives, as well as one Ukrainian woman.
In the face of increasing attacks, land and air infrastructure and rocket launches, the Arab League convened a “Jerusalem Summit” yesterday Sunday, attended by Arab foreign ministers.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi — whose country has historically mediated between the Palestinians and Israelis — Jordan’s King Abdullah — custodian of Muslim and Christian sites in Jerusalem — and Abbas opened the talks.
“The current situation requires us to intensify our efforts,” stressed Abdullah, to whom US President Joe Biden had recently expressed “his strong support for the two-state solution.”
The creation of a Palestinian state, alongside the state of Israel, presupposes the demolition of Jewish settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories and the partition of Jerusalem, something Israel flatly denies.
“Biden has said he supports (the two-state solution) but is doing absolutely nothing,” Abbas complained during his speech.
The Palestinians will appeal “in a few days to the UN Security Council” and intend to appeal to the International Criminal Court as well, because they are now counting “one more witness every day”, underlined the Palestinian president.
Speaking at the meeting via video conference, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the organization’s “position is clear: it rejects unilateral decisions”, referring mainly to “illegal Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem”.
The Arab League is increasingly divided over the Middle East: three more Arab countries recognized Israel in 2020 — Morocco, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates — while Sudan reiterated in February that it wants to move ” towards the normalization” of bilateral relations.
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With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
