The foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries called on Monday the United Nations Security Council to take a binding decision under Chapter Seven of the UN Charter to make Israel agree to an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and end the genocide against and forced displacement of the Palestinian people.
It demanded the delivery of humanitarian aid to the enclave and for the Security Council to implement its previous resolutions related to the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Moreover, it called on all countries to complete their measures to recognize the state of Palestine.
The foreign minister met in Riyadh on Monday for their 161st Ministerial Council.
In a statement following the meeting, they underscored the centrality of the Palestinian cause and their support of the Palestinian people and their sovereignty over all Palestinian territories that have been occupied by Israel since June 1967.
They urged the international community to intensify efforts to resolve the conflict and speed up measures for Palestine to obtain full UN membership.
They reiterated the call by Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa during the GCC summit in Bahrain in May to hold an international conference on peace in the Middle East and to form a Palestinian state.
They also renewed a call made at the summit for the deployment of UN peacekeepers in the occupied Palestinian territories until the implementation of the two-state solution.
The FMs stressed the importance of the ministerial committee that was formed at the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit held by Saudi Arabia in 2023. They hailed Saudi Arabia and Norway’s efforts to support the implementation of the two-state solution, including the recognition of an independent Palestinian state. They praised efforts by Arab countries to achieve national Palestinian reconciliation.
Moreover, the FMs lauded countries, including Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, the Bahamas, Norway, Spain and others, for recognizing the state of Palestine. It hoped other countries would follow suit.
They urged the international community to intervene to halt Israel’s expulsion of Palestinians from Jerusalem and its attempts to alter the legal status and demographics of the city.
Attempts to impose Israeli sovereignty on Jerusalem are a blatant violation of international laws, resolutions and agreements, they warned.
Furthermore, they condemned the Israeli Knesset’s decision to refuse to recognize the establishment of a Palestinian state in defiance of international resolutions and efforts to revive the Middle East peace process and two-state solution.
They slammed Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir for storming Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound under the protection of Israeli forces. They also condemned the repeated raids of the compound by Israeli settlers.
These violations of holy sites only deepen the tensions and fuel the cycle of violence, warned the FMs.
They also denounced the Israeli government for approving more settlements in the West Bank, urging the international community to pressure Israel to back down from such moves that violate international laws and resolutions.
Gaza
The foreign ministers slammed Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza and its attacks against civilians and their forced displacement.
The GCC stands by the brotherly Palestinian people, they declared, while calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire and end to Israeli military operations. They called for an end to the siege on Gaza and delivery of aid to the enclave.
They held Israel responsible before the international community for its repeated violations against innocent civilians. They described the attacks as “war crimes”, rejecting Israeli justifications that the operation in Gaza was an act of self-defense.
They demanded that the international community take the necessary measures to respond to the illegal Israeli government practices and its collective punishment of innocent civilians in Gaza and the entire Palestinian population.
The GCC fully supports the ongoing efforts to reach a ceasefire through mediation by Qatar, Egypt and the United States.
Solidarity with Egypt
The foreign ministers condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent remarks about the Philadelphi Corridor that borders Egypt, saying they are “futile attempts to justify continued Israeli violations of international laws and norms.”
The countries of the GCC stand by Egypt in confronting the Israeli claims, while warning of the consequences of Netanyahu’s provocative statements, which undermine the ceasefire efforts.
Moreover, the FMs underlined the importance of drafting a plan for the return of the Palestinian Authority to Gaza after the end of the war.
They emphasized their rejection of consolidating the separation of Gaza from the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Any future proposal on Gaza must be part of a broader solution that ensures the establishment of an independent Palestinian state according to the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Fight against terror
The ministers stressed their firm stance on combating terrorism and extremism in all of their forms.
Terrorism has no connection to any religion, culture, nationality or race, they stated, while underscoring tolerance and coexistence between nations and peoples.
These are the most important principles on which Gulf societies were formed, they added.
They condemned the continued foreign financing of sectarian terrorist groups and militias in the Middle East, calling for consolidating the values of dialogue and respect between cultures and people.
They rejected religious intolerance and extremism, calling for intensified international efforts to spread tolerance and values of coexistence.
Relations with Iran
The FMs congratulated Masoud Pezeshkian on his election as president of Iran, reiterating the GCC’s firm stances towards relations with Tehran. They urged Iran to commit to international treaties, the principle of good neighborliness, respect for the sovereignty of nations and refraining from meddling in their internal affairs.
They hoped disputes would be resolved through peaceful means and that Iran would avoid force or threats to use force and that it would shun sectarianism.
Yemen
On Yemen, the ministers expressed the GCC’s full support for its Presidential Leadership Council, chaired by Dr. Rashad al-Alimi.
They backed the PLC’s efforts to restore stability in Yemen and reach a comprehensive political solution in line with the Gulf initiative and its executive mechanism, outcomes of the national dialogue and UN Security Council resolution 2216.
They welcomed Saudi Arabia and Oman’s dedicated efforts and contacts with all Yemeni parties to revive the political process to reach the desired solution. They stressed the importance of the Iran-backed Houthi militias to engage positively with international peace efforts to ease the suffering of the brotherly Yemeni people.
The ministers reiterated their support for UN efforts to achieve peace, calling on the Houthis to respect their commitments to the peace process.
They expressed their alarm at the Houthi attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, calling for de-escalation to preserve the security of the region.
Furthermore, they condemned foreign meddling in Yemen’s internal affairs and the smuggling of military experts and weapons to the Houthis in flagrant violation of Security Council resolutions.