Today's Edition
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) welcomed the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2720, which was passed last Friday, expressing hope that this resolution will contribute to alleviating the suffering of the people of Gaza and facilitate the entry of more aid.
According to the Council’s statement, Secretary-General of the GCC, Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, stated that this resolution is one of the important decisions that will contribute to providing a safe environment for the people of Gaza and creating the necessary conditions for an immediate and sustainable ceasefire.
The resolution calls for enforcing urgent steps to allow the safe and extensive delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, creating conditions for a sustainable cessation of hostilities, and appointing a coordinator for humanitarian affairs and reconstruction in Gaza, among other provisions.
The Secretary-General called on Israel to quickly implement this resolution and comply with all United Nations resolutions, as well as the requirements of international humanitarian law, by stopping the targeting of civilians and civilian property in Gaza, including hospitals, schools, shelters, and camps. He also urged the international community and the Security Council to fulfil their responsibilities by imposing an immediate ceasefire and protecting the people of Gaza.
In a statement by the Foreign Ministry, Egypt reiterated the call for a complete ceasefire and welcomed the UNSC resolution, calling it “an important and positive step towards alleviating the severity of the humanitarian suffering affecting Palestinian civilians and the basic services system in the Gaza Strip”.
The statement added: “Egypt reiterated its continued work closely with international parties supporting peace to reach a complete ceasefire that preserves the lives of Palestinian civilians, reduces the impact of the humanitarian crisis, and re-launches a serious peace process that leads to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders within the two-state vision.”
Portuguese Foreign Minister João Cravinho, as well as his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry, jointly stressed the need for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip during a recent phone call.
The Portuguese Foreign Ministry issued a statement on X platform, stating: “Minister of Foreign Affairs João Cravinho and his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry spoke [on the phone] on the need for a permanent ceasefire and [discussed] the situation in the Red Sea.”
António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, commented on the UNSC resolution on X, stating: “I hope that today’s Security Council resolution may help improve the delivery of much-needed aid, but a humanitarian ceasefire is the only way to begin to meet the desperate needs of people in Gaza and end their ongoing nightmare.”
Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, also stressed the need for a humanitarian ceasefire in a statement posted on X.
“For aid to reach people in need, hostages to be released, more displacement to be avoided and above all, the devastating loss of lives to stop a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza is the only way forward,” the statement said.
