UAE chairs emergency Arab League meeting over Israeli settlement expansion

The United Arab Emirates on Wednesday presided over an emergency meeting of the Arab League Council at the level of Permanent Representatives in Cairo, convened to address recent Israeli settlement expansion in the Palestinian territories and explore regional and international responses, WAM reported.

Hamad Obaid Al Zaabi, UAE Ambassador to Egypt and Permanent Representative to the Arab League, opened the session by condemning Israel’s actions, describing them as attempts to assert illegitimate sovereignty, expand settlements, and pursue policies that exacerbate regional tensions.

He stressed that these measures violate the rights of the Palestinian people and called for an immediate halt to settlement activity to preserve stability and the prospects for peace.

Al Zaabi also urged the United Nations, the Security Council, and the international community to uphold their responsibilities and intervene against practices that contravene international law.

Echoing these concerns, Dr. Fayez Mustafa, Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the Palestine and Occupied Arab Territories Sector at the Arab League, characterized the Israeli decisions as a dangerous escalation amounting to de facto annexation of parts of the West Bank, in clear violation of international resolutions. He warned that such moves would undermine regional peace and stability.

Ambassador Muhannad Al Aklouk, Permanent Representative of the State of Palestine to the Arab League, called on member states and the global community to take coordinated political, economic, legal, and diplomatic action to stop annexation plans.

He reaffirmed that the State of Palestine considers the settlement expansions null and void and sought Arab and international support to safeguard Palestinian sovereignty.