Arab League foreign ministers convene for a meeting in Cairo on Tuesday. AFP
Arab League foreign ministers convene for a meeting in Cairo on Tuesday. AFP
Arab League foreign ministers convene for a meeting in Cairo on Tuesday. AFP
Arab League foreign ministers convene for a meeting in Cairo on Tuesday. AFP

'One year of genocide': Arab League foreign ministers condemn Israel's war in Gaza


Kamal Tabikha
  • English
  • Arabic

Arab League foreign ministers condemned Israel's conduct in the Gaza war at a meeting in Cairo on Tuesday, with the group's Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit describing it as “a year of genocide and ethnic cleansing”.

The 162nd Arab League foreign ministers' assembly convened on Monday, bringing together the region’s top diplomats to address crises in Gaza, Sudan and Libya. Mr Aboul Gheit delivered a scathing critique of Israel's actions, highlighting that more than 41,000 Palestinians had been killed since October 7 last year.

“We have witnessed a year of genocide, a year of ethnic cleansing and a year of displacement,” Mr Aboul Gheit said, accusing the international community of failing to take decisive action and allowing Israel to continue its aggression with impunity.

“The great powers in the world today are either unwilling or unable to exert pressure on the occupation,” he said.

Mr Aboul Gheit said Israel's military operation in Gaza was being fuelled by a “web of deceit and fabrication”, despite a looming threat of regional devastation.

He accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of using a dispute over the Salah Al Din Corridor – a strip of land between Gaza and Egypt that is also known as the Philadelphi Corridor – as an excuse to continue fighting.

“Israel’s Prime Minister is making false claims that the Philadelphi corridor is hindering a prisoner deal and ceasefire, but the truth is that he doesn’t want to reach a ceasefire agreement and refuses to do his part to realise it,” said Mr Aboul Gheit.

The corridor, currently occupied by Israeli forces, is a key sticking point in negotiations for a ceasefire, with Israel and Egypt both insisting on controlling the area. Mr Aboul Gheit said Mr Netanyahu is not prepared to make concessions or halt the violence, “not even to save his own people, who have become aware of his manipulations and exposed agenda”.

There have been large demonstrations in Israeli cities, with protesters calling on Mr Netanyahu to strike a ceasefire deal with Hamas to secure the release of hostages held in Gaza.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, representing Ankara at the Arab League meeting for the first time in 13 years, echoed Aboul Gheit's remarks. “All countries that extend support to Netanyahu are complicit in the genocide taking place in Gaza,” he said. “They must take responsibility for this.”

Turkey's warming ties to its Arab neighbours were on full display at the meeting, with Mr Fidan emphasising the importance of Turkish-Arab co-operation to address the region's conflicts. “We are bound by our shared faith, geographic and historical ties, as well as our bonds of solidarity and friendship,” he said.

He highlighted a recent visit by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi to Ankara. This was a significant step in the normalisation of relations between the two countries and followed a visit to Cairo by Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in February.

Mr Fidan said there is a dire need for a two-state solution, saying “peace cannot be achieved without a just solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict”. He called for an end to Israel's occupation and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who began an official visit to Egypt on Monday, also spoke out at the Arab League meeting against Israel's attacks on Gaza, calling for the violence to end. He said there was a need for international co-operation to address the crisis.

“One horror cannot justify another,” he said earlier from outside the Rafah crossing on Egypt’s border with Gaza. Mr Borrell's trip comes as the EU seeks to play a more active role in mediating the conflict. His efforts, however, have been met with scepticism by some Arab leaders, who view the EU as soft on Israel.

The Arab League foreign ministers' meeting also considered other regional issues, including the crisis in Sudan and conflict in Libya. Mr Aboul Gheit called for international support to help Sudan address its humanitarian crisis, which he said was the worst in the region.

The league would persist with efforts to reach a ceasefire, he said. “We will continue to work together to exert pressure on the international community to reject Israeli aggression and support the Palestinian people,” said Mr Aboul Gheit. “The time for words is over; it is time for action.”

Test

Director: S Sashikanth

Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan

Star rating: 2/5

While you're here
Yahya Al Ghassani's bio

Date of birth: April 18, 1998

Playing position: Winger

Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda

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The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer

Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000

Engine 3.6L V6

Transmission: Six-speed automatic

Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm

Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm

Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km

TRAP

Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue

Director: M Night Shyamalan

Rating: 3/5

Plan to boost public schools

A major shake-up of government-run schools was rolled out across the country in 2017. Known as the Emirati School Model, it placed more emphasis on maths and science while also adding practical skills to the curriculum.

It was accompanied by the promise of a Dh5 billion investment, over six years, to pay for state-of-the-art infrastructure improvements.

Aspects of the school model will be extended to international private schools, the education minister has previously suggested.

Recent developments have also included the introduction of moral education - which public and private schools both must teach - along with reform of the exams system and tougher teacher licensing requirements.

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

Where can I submit a sample?

Volunteers can now submit DNA samples at a number of centres across Abu Dhabi. The programme is open to all ages.

Collection centres in Abu Dhabi include:

  • Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC)
  • Biogenix Labs in Masdar City
  • Al Towayya in Al Ain
  • NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City
  • Bareen International Hospital
  • NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain
  • NMC Royal Medical Centre - Abu Dhabi
  • NMC Royal Women’s Hospital.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
  • Riders must be 14-years-old or over
  • Wear a protective helmet
  • Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
  • Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
  • Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
  • Do not drive outside designated lanes
Election pledges on migration

CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections" 

SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom" 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2019 BMW i8 Roadster

Price, base: Dh708,750

Engine: 1.5L three-cylinder petrol, plus 11.6 kWh lithium-ion battery

Transmission: Six-speed automatic

Power: 374hp (total)

Torque: 570Nm (total)

Fuel economy, combined: 2.0L / 100km

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

Ferrari
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The specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X

Price, as tested: Dh84,000

Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo

Transmission: Six-speed auto

Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm

Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km

The specs: 2017 Lotus Evora Sport 410

Price, base / as tested Dh395,000 / Dh420,000

Engine 3.5L V6

Transmission Six-speed manual

Power 410hp @ 7,000rpm

Torque 420Nm @ 3,500rpm

Fuel economy, combined 9.7L / 100km

The Perfect Couple

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor

Creator: Jenna Lamia

Rating: 3/5

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

LA LIGA FIXTURES

Friday Valladolid v Osasuna (Kick-off midnight UAE)

Saturday Valencia v Athletic Bilbao (5pm), Getafe v Sevilla (7.15pm), Huesca v Alaves (9.30pm), Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid (midnight)

Sunday Real Sociedad v Eibar (5pm), Real Betis v Villarreal (7.15pm), Elche v Granada (9.30pm), Barcelona v Levante (midnight)

Monday Celta Vigo v Cadiz (midnight)

Updated: September 10, 2024, 3:25 PM`