The foreign ministers of the UAE, Jordan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the Sultanate of Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt and Morocco denounced today (Thursday) the targeting of civilians and violations of international law in the Gaza Strip, which is being subjected to Israeli bombing.

Their joint statement stated that “the right to self-defense does not justify violating the law and ignoring the rights of Palestinians.” The statement added that the Arab foreign ministers also condemn forced displacement and collective punishment in Gaza.

The nine countries affirmed their rejection of any attempts to liquidate the Palestinian cause, or displace Palestinians from their land in any way, describing this as “a grave violation of international humanitarian law and a war crime.”

The countries also called on the Security Council to oblige the parties to an immediate and sustainable ceasefire in Gaza.

The statement, published by the Egyptian and Emirati Foreign Ministries, stated that “failure to describe blatant violations of international humanitarian law is tantamount to giving the green light for the continuation of these practices, and complicity in their commission.”

The nine countries expressed their deep concern about the possibility of the current confrontations expanding to other regions in the Middle East, stressing that the expansion of the conflict in Israel and the Palestinian territories will have “serious consequences for the peoples of the region and international peace and security.”

In the joint statement, the nine countries called for ensuring and facilitating the rapid, safe and sustainable access of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip without obstacles.

The UAE Foreign Ministry said that this statement was issued following the summit hosted by Cairo last Saturday, “and in light of the continued escalation that began on Saturday, October 7, 2023, in both Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory, especially in the Gaza Strip, and the continuation of Innocent civilian casualties and flagrant violations of international law and international humanitarian law