The Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Jasim Mohammed Al-Badiwi, called for restraint in the region, reaffirming the Council’s support for Lebanon during this critical phase.
Al-Badiwi, at the conclusion of an emergency ministerial meeting of the Gulf states today, stated: “All parties involved in this escalation must exercise restraint, cease violence, and prioritize dialogue.” He emphasized the necessity of implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and the outcomes of the Taif Agreement regarding Lebanon, and he also called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
The statement from the meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council’s foreign ministers highlighted that in light of the military escalation and developments in the Middle East, the Council held its 45th extraordinary session today in the Qatari capital, Doha, chaired by the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani. The Council reviewed the serious developments and increasing escalation destabilizing the security and stability of the region, including in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, the severe violations in the West Bank, threats to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and religious sanctuaries, and the recent events between Israel and Iran.
The Ministerial Council condemned the escalation in Lebanese and Palestinian territories and warned of the severe repercussions of this escalation, which not only affect the region but extend further, posing threats to international peace and security, undermining efforts for peace and security in the region and the world. It stressed the importance of protecting regional security and preventing the expansion of war, urging all parties involved in the escalation to exercise restraint, cease violence, and prioritize dialogue. The Ministerial Council also called on the international community to fulfill its responsibilities to maintain security and stability in the region and implement international legitimate decisions related to the region.
Regarding Lebanon, the Ministerial Council reaffirmed the Gulf Cooperation Council’s support for the Lebanese people in all their diversity during this critical stage, calling for intensified international and regional efforts to provide urgent humanitarian support to Lebanon to alleviate civilian suffering and protect them from any serious consequences. It also called for restraint, avoiding involvement in regional conflicts, and preventing the expansion of conflict in the region.
The Council emphasized the need to implement Security Council Resolution 1701, relevant international resolutions, and the Taif Agreement to restore permanent security and stability in Lebanon, ensuring respect for its territorial integrity, political independence, and sovereignty within its internationally recognized borders.
The Ministerial Council reaffirmed the contents of the joint ministerial statement issued on September 25, 2024, by the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the State of Qatar, the United States of America, and several other countries, which calls for an immediate 21-day ceasefire across the Blue Line marking the southern borders of Lebanon, and moving towards a diplomatic settlement to avoid the risk of a regional war.
The Ministerial Council welcomed the statement issued on September 27, 2024, in New York, at the emergency ministerial meeting of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to address the escalation of Israeli military attacks against the State of Palestine and the Lebanese Republic.
Regarding Palestine, the Ministerial Council reaffirmed the Gulf Cooperation Council’s support for the Palestinian people, condemning the Israeli aggression on Gaza and the West Bank, and demanding an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, ending the siege on the Strip, releasing hostages and detainees, emphasizing the importance of immediately opening all crossings unconditionally, and ensuring secure delivery of all relief aid, medical supplies, and basic necessities to the residents of Gaza Strip, in accordance with international law and humanitarian law.
The Ministerial Council reaffirmed the contents of the joint statement issued on August 8, 2024, by Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and U.S. President Joseph Biden, regarding the necessity to complete reaching a ceasefire, releasing hostages and detainees in Gaza, and calling for the resumption of negotiations, declaring its full support for ongoing efforts to achieve a ceasefire and urgently address the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Gaza.
The Council praised the constructive role played by the Gulf Cooperation Council states with their strategic partners, especially the United States, to de-escalate, enhance security and stability, protect maritime navigation in the region, and ensure its security, stability, and prosperity.
The Ministerial Council requested the Security Council to implement its resolutions No. 2735, 2712, and 2720, concerning the call for an immediate, complete, and total ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, release of hostages, exchange of prisoners, return of civilians to their homes, and the safe and effective distribution of humanitarian aid on a large scale, and withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Strip.
The Ministerial Council highlighted the importance of the efforts of the ministerial committee chaired by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, formed by the exceptional joint Arab-Islamic summit to stop the Israeli aggression on the Palestinian people, and the international movement to support the State of Palestine in gaining recognition from more countries around the world, supporting its full membership in the United Nations, and convening an international peace conference.
The Ministerial Council welcomed the adoption by the General Assembly on September 18, 2024, of the resolution “Ending the Illegal Presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories,” and appreciated the General Assembly’s decision on Palestine’s eligibility for full membership in the United Nations.
The Gulf Cooperation Council called on the Security Council to swiftly issue a resolution granting the State of Palestine full membership in the United Nations, and welcomed the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice on July 18, 2024, recognizing the illegality of the actions taken by the Israeli occupation to establish facts beyond the international legitimacy resolutions affirming the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.
The Ministerial Council concluded its meeting by reiterating the warning about the increasing escalation in the region and its serious repercussions on regional and international peace and security, once again calling for the importance of de-escalation, exercising maximum restraint, and sparing the region and the world further instability, dangers of wars, and their effects on the peoples of the region and the world.
