Ahmad 
The work of the Council of the League of Arab States at the summit level at its 33rd session kicked off in the Bahraini capital Manama on Thursday, in the presence of kings, presidents and leaders of Arab countries.
Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa inaugurated the summit, which he took over from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, representing King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
In his speech, the King of Bahrain said: “The Arab summit is being held amid very complex regional and international circumstances of devastating wars, painful humanitarian tragedies and threats that affect our nation’s identity, security, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity.”
The King continued: “In light of the denial of the legitimate rights to which the Palestinian people are subjected, there is an increasing need to develop a common and urgent Arab position that adopts a method of collective solidarity to stop the bleeding of wars and establish a final and just peace as an irreplaceable option if we want to win our human will in the battle for peace.”
The King pointed out that Bahrain is advancing a number of initiatives to contribute to serving the core issues of stability in the region, namely: calling for an international conference on peace in the Middle East, full recognition of the State of Palestine and its admission to membership in the United Nations and providing educational and health services to those affected by conflicts and disputes in the region.
In his speech, the Saudi crown prince said: “We call on the international community to support the ceasefire efforts in the Gaza Strip, and we support all efforts and work to resolve Arab nationalist issues.”
The crown prince continued: “The Kingdom hosted a meeting condemning the Israeli aggression on Gaza under any pretext, and we call for continued work to immediately stop the aggression on the Gaza Strip and the delivery of aid.”
Bin Salman stressed that “the Kingdom seeks to achieve security, peace and prosperity in the region, and calls for the resolution of all disputes by peaceful means.”
The Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, explained in his speech that “occupation and peace do not meet, and the path of peace in the region requires a different approach and that the Israeli occupation abandon the illusions of retaining land and controlling people.”
Aboul Gheit continued: “Israel continues its ethnic cleansing operations in Gaza by force of arms,” stressing that “forced displacement is rejected Arab, international, humanitarian and moral.”
African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki condemned the unprecedented destruction in the Gaza Strip and called for an end to the war in the Gaza Strip and the implementation of the two-state solution.
Faki added: “Sudan’s war must stop away from all external interference, and national reconciliation in Sudan must be supported to achieve stability.”
In his speech, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said: “The war in Gaza is the biggest conflict the world has ever seen, and there is no justification for collective punishment of the Palestinian people.”
“Sudan’s war is destroying the country and the people and putting 18 million people at risk of famine, and humanitarian aid is insufficient,” Guterres said.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said in his speech: “The Israeli war forces the choice between the paths of peace or chaos, and we are witnessing an international deficit in the face of what is happening in Gaza.”
Sisi explained that “Israel is evading its responsibilities for the ceasefire and moving forward with its military operation in Rafah,” stressing that “military solutions cannot lead to security.”
For his part, the head of the Libyan Presidential Council, Mohammed al-Menfi, reiterated Libya’s condemnation of “the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and support for South Africa’s efforts at the International Court of Justice to convict Israel of committing the crime of genocide.”
The Arab League includes 22 countries, and since the start of the regular and emergency Arab summits in Cairo in 1946, Manama has hosted for the first time a meeting of the Council of the League at the summit level (leaders) in its 33rd regular session.
Jordan hosts an international conference on humanitarian response in the Gaza Strip