Baghdad — Gathering in a city scarred by its own wars, leaders at the 34ᵗʰ Arab League Summit drew a firm moral boundary: the forced uprooting of Palestinians will not be tolerated, and the bombs over Gaza must fall silent—now, reported the Madhyamam.
In their unanimously-adopted closing declaration, heads of state from 22 member nations called for “an immediate halt to the war in Gaza and all hostilities exacerbating civilian misery.” They pressed the wider international community—especially the world’s power-brokers—to honor their legal and humanitarian duties: end the bloodshed, open every corridor for life-saving aid, and defend the basic dignity of a people under siege.
Rejecting any scheme to expel Palestinians from their homeland as “a flagrant breach of international law,” the leaders endorsed Iraq’s proposal for a Gaza Reconstruction Fund, urging capitals worldwide to supply political muscle, financial lifelines, and legal cover for rebuilding the shattered enclave.
Reaffirming that Palestine remains the Arab world’s central cause and the key to regional stability, the statement pledged unwavering support for the Palestinian quest for freedom, self-determination, and a fully sovereign state along the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Condemning what they termed Israel’s “illegitimate measures that rob Palestinians of life and liberty,” the delegates echoed President Mahmoud Abbas’s call for an international peace conference and concrete steps toward a two-state solution.
Beyond Gaza, the communiqué touched on flashpoints from Sudan to Yemen and denounced terrorism in all forms—particularly atrocities by ISIS.
The Baghdad summit showcased rare Arab unity in the face of a spiraling humanitarian catastrophe. Whether global powers heed that unified voice, and whether the guns over Gaza finally fall silent, remains the urgent question echoing from the Tigris to the Mediterranean.
