BAGHDAD – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, addressing the opening session of the 34th Arab Summit in Baghdad attended by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, urged Arab leaders to adopt a comprehensive plan to end the ongoing war and achieve lasting peace for Palestine. He expressed deep gratitude for the consistent Arab support of the Palestinian cause, emphasizing that the summit convenes during “extremely dangerous regional and international circumstances” where the Palestinian issue faces “existential threats.”
Abbas decried the situation in Gaza – including what he described as acts of genocide, destruction, starvation, and restrictions on UNRWA, alongside killings, displacement, and settlement expansion in the West Bank and Jerusalem – as part of a “colonial project” aimed at preventing the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. He stressed the critical need for increased Arab and international support, particularly from the US administration and the UN Security Council, to effectively confront these challenges and achieve genuine peace and stability.
The Palestinian President then presented a multi-point proposal outlining an Arab plan for ending the war and securing peace. Key elements of this plan include:
- The establishment of a permanent ceasefire.
- The release of all hostages and detainees.
- Ensuring the unfettered flow of humanitarian aid.
- The complete withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from the Gaza Strip.
- Empowering the Palestinian state to assume full civil and security responsibilities in Gaza, contingent upon Hamas and all other factions relinquishing control and handing over weapons to the Palestinian Authority, recognized as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. This would involve restructuring Gaza’s security apparatus under professional standards with Arab and international oversight.
- Holding an international conference in Cairo dedicated to financing and implementing a comprehensive reconstruction plan for Gaza. Abbas expressed his appreciation for Egypt’s ongoing efforts in this regard.
- Establishing funding programs to bolster economic and social development in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, particularly in response to Israeli policies of withholding Palestinian Authority funds (mentioning $2 billion in unpaid funds) and destroying infrastructure.
- Implementing a comprehensive truce and halting all unilateral Israeli measures that violate international law, such as settlement expansion, annexation, demolitions, and displacement.
- Upholding the historical and legal status of the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem under Hashemite custodianship.
Abbas concluded his address by reiterating the urgency of adopting this Arab plan as a concrete pathway to ending the conflict and realizing a just and lasting peace for the Palestinian people.
