March 4, 2025
Source: https://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2025/03/04/final-Declaration-emergency-arab-summit-for-palestine/
Meeting in Cairo in early March 2025, the Arab League of States endorsed an Egyptian plan for the reconstruction of Gaza that was, above all else, a cleverly worded statement. The contents offered did not break new diplomatic ground. As a consensus document it aimed at satisfying as many Arab interests and foreign ears as possible. It made absolutely no mention of Hamas, neither including nor excluding it from Gaza’s future governance structures. Hamas’s objective is to be part of a future governance structure in Gaza, refurbish itself, gain access to the billions of dollars that will flow into Gaza’s rebuilding process, and reconstitute its political control in the future. The Arab League avoided taking a specific position about Hamas’s future! Notably the declaration supported:
• A “Palestinian decision to form a Gaza administration committee under the government of Palestine, composed of qualified Gazans, for a transitional period. This coincides with enabling the Palestinian Authority to return to Gaza, embodying the political and geographical unity of the occupied Palestinian territories since 1967.”
• A Jordanian and Egyptian proposal “to train Palestinian police, ensuring their ability to maintain security in Gaza. Security remains a solely Palestinian responsibility, managed by legitimate institutions of Palestine under the rule of law, with full international support.”
• The Bahrain Declaration of May 16, 2024, calling for the deployment of a U.N. international protection and peacekeeping force in the occupied Palestinian territory (meaning all of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Jerusalem) until the two-state solution is implemented, ensuring the inhabitants will not be displaced and the core principles of the Palestinian cause will remain intact.
• Governance reforms from the PA and the unification of all Palestinian factions under the PLO umbrella. (Hamas is staunchly opposed to being under the PLO direction; it seeks to guide Palestinian identity.)
• Protection of the Palestinians living in Gaza, including “their right to freedom, an independent and sovereign state on their national soil based on the two-state solution, and the right of return for Palestinian refugees.” The Declaration condemns Israel for stopping aid supplies to Gaza, for making incursions into Syra and for violations of the Lebanese-Israeli cease-fire.
In a broader context, the call for a return of Palestinians does not mean only to the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Jerusalem but to all of Israel as it existed before the June 4, 1967, Israeli-Arab war. That would result in the state with a Jewish majority. This is a repetition of the wording from the Arab Peace Initiative of 2002, where the specific geographic area of Palestinian refugee return was not designated.
The Declaration does not call for an end to either the Palestinian-Israeli or the Arab-Israeli conflict but instead for a vague resolution of all Middle East conflicts. The Declaration calls for a two-state solution, including a Palestinian state, living “peacefully alongside Israel,” without mentioning Israel as a Jewish state. Under that possible outcome of a two-state solution, both states would have an Arab majority, and Jews would no longer have self-determination. The Declaration’s content would have been historically precedent setting if it had endorsed an end to a “return of refugees to what is Israel today.”
Arab states convened this summit in direct response to the apparent winding down of the Hamas-Israel War and to President Donald Trump’s plan, announced a month earlier, for the U.S. to take ownership of the Gaza Strip, which would have its Palestinian inhabitants leave the Strip’s 140 square miles, so it could be rebuilt with homes. Trump’s plan does not state that the Palestinians if they left would return to Gaza.
— Ken Stein, March 7, 2025
Emergency Arab League Resolution on Gaza and the Palestinians,
March 4, 2025
The following is the complete text of the Final Declaration:
We, the leaders of the Arab nations, are acutely aware of the critical situation in our region, particularly concerning the Palestinian cause. Palestine remains a central issue for the Arab world and all nations striving for peace, justice, rights, and freedom. We reaffirm our united stance against attempts to undermine the rights of the Palestinian people, and we continue to support ending the historical injustice they face in pursuit of a just peace. We respect the enduring struggle and acknowledge the legendary resilience of the Palestinian people throughout fifteen months of aggression and inhumane policies.
We affirm the outcomes of the Arab Summit held in Manama on May 16, 2024, including the “Bahrain Declaration,” which emphasizes the values of tolerance, human coexistence, and mutual respect among nations. We support dialogue and understanding between religions, cultures, and civilizations, and promote global peace and stability. This declaration also called for the deployment of a UN international protection and peacekeeping force in the occupied Palestinian territory until the two-state solution is implemented. We are committed to solidarity and collective action to address the exceptional challenges before us.
Convening in Cairo today, Tuesday, March 4, 2025 (Ramadan 4, 1446), at the invitation of President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi of Egypt, and in coordination with King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain, President of the 33rd Ordinary Session, we respond to the request of the State of Palestine to address the alarming developments surrounding the Palestinian cause.
We salute the Palestinian people for their steadfastness, demonstrated by the return of Gaza residents to their homes, especially in the north, following the ceasefire agreement. We pledge to uphold all previous resolutions of the League of Arab States related to the Palestinian cause.
The Emergency Arab Summit resolves:
- To reiterate that our strategic priority is a just and comprehensive peace guaranteeing all rights of the Palestinian people. This includes their right to freedom, an independent and sovereign state on their national soil based on the two-state solution, and the right of return for Palestinian refugees. It also guarantees security for all in the region, including Israel, based on the Arab Peace Initiative of 2002. This initiative unequivocally expresses the Arab nations’ commitment to resolving all conflicts in the region, establishing peaceful coexistence and normal, cooperative relations among all states. We reaffirm our absolute rejection of all forms of violence, extremism, and terrorism that undermine security and violate human values and international law.
- To intensify cooperation with international and regional powers, including the United States, to achieve a comprehensive and just peace in the region and resolve all Middle East conflicts. We stand ready to engage immediately with the U.S. administration and international partners to resume peace negotiations, seeking a just resolution to the Palestinian cause. This solution must end the Israeli occupation, establish a Palestinian state based on the two-state solution in accordance with international law, and guarantee an independent, sovereign Palestinian state within the June 4, 1967, borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, living peacefully alongside Israel. We further call for an international conference to establish the Palestinian state.
- To reaffirm the unwavering Arab position, as emphasized in the Bahrain Declaration of May 16, 2024, categorically rejecting any displacement of Palestinians from their land, whether internal or external, under any pretext. Such actions constitute a grave violation of international law, a crime against humanity, and ethnic cleansing. We condemn policies of starvation designed to force Palestinians to leave their homes. Israel, as the occupying power, must adhere to international law, which rejects attempts to alter the demographic composition of the Palestinian territory.
- To condemn the Israeli government’s recent decision to halt humanitarian aid to Gaza and close relief crossings. These actions violate the ceasefire agreement and international law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention. We reject Israel’s use of siege and starvation as political weapons.
- To warn that any attempts to displace Palestinians or annex occupied Palestinian territory will plunge the region into renewed conflict, undermining stability and expanding the conflict to other nations. This poses a grave threat to peace in the Middle East, destroying future prospects and the possibility of coexistence. We recognize the crucial role of Jordan and Egypt in confronting displacement and the liquidation of the Palestinian cause.
- To adopt the Egyptian plan for the early recovery and reconstruction of Gaza. Developed in full coordination with Palestine and Arab nations and based on studies by the World Bank and the UN Development Fund, this plan serves as a comprehensive Arab strategy. We commit to providing financial, material, and political support for its implementation and urge the international community and financial institutions to provide necessary assistance. These efforts will proceed alongside a political path toward a permanent and just solution, fulfilling the Palestinian people’s aspirations for statehood and peaceful coexistence.
- To prioritize the full implementation of the ceasefire agreement, holding all parties, especially Israel, to their commitments. This includes a permanent cessation of aggression against Gaza, Israel’s complete withdrawal from the Strip (including the Philadelphi Corridor), and guaranteed safe, adequate, and immediate access for humanitarian, shelter, and medical aid. Aid distribution throughout Gaza must be unobstructed, and the return of residents to their homes facilitated. We acknowledge the role of the Trump administration, Egypt, and Qatar in brokering the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release and encourage building on these efforts to create a comprehensive executive plan for the Arab Peace Initiative.
- To welcome an international conference in Cairo, as soon as possible, dedicated to Gaza’s recovery and reconstruction, in cooperation with Palestine and the UN. We urge the international community to participate, accelerating Gaza’s rehabilitation following the devastation of Israeli aggression. A trust fund will be established to receive financial pledges from donor nations and institutions, supporting recovery and reconstruction projects.
- To coordinate, through the joint Arab-Islamic Ministerial Committee, outreach to international capitals to promote the Arab plan for Gaza’s reconstruction and reaffirm the Palestinian people’s right to their land and self-determination. We task Arab foreign ministers and the League’s Secretary-General to act swiftly at the international level, particularly within the UN and with Security Council permanent members, in coordination with Algeria and Somalia as the Arab non-permanent members. This will address attempts to liquidate the Palestinian cause and mobilize international pressure to compel Israel’s withdrawal from all occupied Arab territories, including in Syria and Lebanon, through coordination with Arab ambassadors and League missions.
- To welcome the Palestinian decision to form a Gaza administration committee under the government of Palestine, composed of qualified Gazans, for a transitional period. This coincides with enabling the Palestinian Authority to return to Gaza, embodying the political and geographical unity of the occupied Palestinian territories since 1967. We commend the proposal by Jordan and Egypt to train Palestinian police, ensuring their ability to maintain security in Gaza. Security remains a solely Palestinian responsibility, managed by legitimate institutions of Palestine under the rule of law, with full international support.
- To call on the Security Council to deploy international peacekeeping forces to ensure security for both Palestinians and Israelis in the West Bank and Gaza, within the framework of strengthening the political horizon for Palestinian statehood.
- To welcome Palestine’s ongoing comprehensive reforms at all levels, aimed at building strong and sustainable institutions. We support the pursuit of legislative and presidential elections as soon as conditions allow. The leadership of Palestine will continue implementing essential reforms to improve public services, advance the economy, empower women and youth, and promote the rule of law, transparency, and accountability. Reforms within Palestine and the PLO are vital to enabling institutions of Palestine to effectively face challenges, preserve national unity, and empower Palestinians to achieve their aspirations for freedom and independence. We emphasize the importance of uniting all Palestinian factions under the PLO, the legitimate and sole representative of the Palestinian people.
- To demand an end to Israeli aggression in the West Bank, including settlement expansion, apartheid, home demolitions, land confiscation, infrastructure destruction, and military incursions into Palestinian cities, as well as violations of holy sites. We condemn all attempts to displace Palestinians internally from West Bank camps and cities or to annex West Bank territory under any pretext, which would escalate the situation and inflame the region.
- To call, as the holy month of Ramadan approaches, for de-escalation throughout the occupied Palestinian territory. This includes ending hateful rhetoric and violence, which we strongly condemn. We demand that worshippers be allowed free and safe access to Al-Aqsa Mosque and the free exercise of their religious rites, preserving the legal and historical status quo of Islamic and Christian holy sites in occupied Jerusalem. We affirm the role of the Jordanian Waqf Department in managing Al-Aqsa Mosque affairs under the historical Hashemite Custodianship, and we emphasize the role of the Jerusalem Committee and the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Al-Sharif Agency.
- To support the efforts of the international coalition led by Saudi Arabia, as chair of the Joint Arab-Islamic Committee on Gaza, the European Union, and Norway, to implement the two-state solution. We will actively participate in the international conference co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France, to be held at the UN headquarters in New York in June 2025, aimed at resolving the Palestinian issue and implementing the two-state solution.
- To emphasize the indispensable role of UNRWA in fulfilling its UN-mandated mission in its five areas of operation, particularly in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza. We call on the international community to provide political, legal, and financial support to ensure its continued operation. The UN must firmly address any disruption to UNRWA’s work. We reject attempts to reduce or eliminate UNRWA’s role as part of systematic efforts to undermine the rights of Palestinian refugees, including their right of return. We condemn the Israeli Knesset’s October 2024 laws banning UNRWA, reflecting unacceptable disregard for the UN and the international community.
- To call, in cooperation with the UN, for the creation of an international fund to support the estimated 40,000 Gazan orphans who are victims of Israeli aggression. We will provide aid and prosthetics to the thousands injured, particularly children who have lost limbs, and we encourage initiatives like the Jordanian “Restoring Hope” program to support amputees in Gaza.
- To urge states to comply with the advisory opinions and orders of the International Court of Justice regarding Israel’s actions as the occupying power. We emphasize the need to prosecute those responsible for grave violations and crimes against the Palestinian people through international and national justice mechanisms, reminding all that these crimes have no statute of limitations. Israel must be held legally and materially accountable for its crimes in Gaza and throughout the occupied Palestinian territory.
- To task a legal committee of Arab states party to the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide to investigate whether the displacement of Palestinians, expulsion, forced transfer, ethnic cleansing, deportation, and the creation of unlivable conditions through widespread destruction, collective punishment, starvation, and the denial of food and aid constitute part of the crime of genocide.
- To emphasize the need to fully implement the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon and adhere to UN Security Council Resolution 1701. We condemn Israeli violations and demand that Israel withdraw completely from Lebanon to internationally recognized borders, release prisoners from the recent war, and adhere to the 1949 Armistice Agreement. We stand in solidarity with Lebanon and its security, stability, and sovereignty.
- To condemn Israeli attacks and incursions into Syria, a blatant violation of international law and Syrian sovereignty, and a dangerous escalation. We demand that the international community and the Security Council act immediately to enforce international law and compel Israel to cease its aggression and withdraw from occupied Syrian territory in violation of the 1974 Armistice Agreement. We reaffirm that the Golan Heights are occupied Syrian territory and reject Israel’s annexation and imposition of sovereignty.
- To task the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States with monitoring the implementation of this communiqué and presenting a report to the 34th ordinary session of the Arab Summit.
- To thank Egypt for hosting the Emergency Summit.