Arab League demands UN peacekeeping force in Palestine

The Arab League has called for United Nations peacekeeping forces to be deployed in the occupied Palestinian territories and emphasized the need for a ceasefire at a summit convened to address the Israeli assault in Gaza.

Seven months into the Israeli military campaign, Arab heads of state gathered in Bahrain and issued the "Manama Declaration," demanding "international protection and peacekeeping forces of the United Nations in the occupied Palestinian territories" until a two-state solution is realised in the region.

The 22-member bloc called for an immediate halt to the military assault in Gaza and held Israel responsible for creating "obstructions" in the negotiation process for a ceasefire.

“We stress the need to stop the Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip immediately, withdraw the Israeli occupation forces from all areas of the Strip [and] lift the siege imposed on it,” the statement read.

“We strongly condemn Israel’s obstruction of cease-fire efforts in the Gaza Strip and its continued military escalation by expanding its aggression against the Palestinian city of Rafah, despite international warnings of the disastrous humanitarian consequences,” it added.

Arab leaders underscored the importance of achieving a two-state solution, establishing Israel's borders before the 1967 war, with East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital.

They also urged all Palestinian factions to unite under the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), recognizing it as the official representative of the Palestinians. The PLO is dominated by the Fatah party, a political rival of Hamas. Both factions have governed the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, respectively.

The Arab League condemned the attacks on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, stating that these actions "threaten freedom of navigation, international trade, and the interests of countries and peoples of the world."

The league reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring the uninterrupted navigation of commercial trade in the Red Sea.

As the IDF continues to unleash violence from north to south, civilians in Gaza are scrambling for shelter. Palestinian armed groups are engaging Israeli troops in small ambushes.

Israeli forces have intensified airstrikes, targeting Jabalia in the north and Rafah in the south, where thousands of civilians have sought refuge. 

The United Nations reported that nearly 600,000 Palestinians seeking shelter have been forced to relocate since the beginning of an Israeli ground invasion on the eastern outskirts of the city nine days ago, leaving 150,000 displaced within the last 48 hours.

According to the International Rescue Committee (IRC), the Israeli offensive in Rafah has obstructed humanitarian activities.

Despite Hamas accepting a ceasefire deal mediated by Qatar and Egypt, Israeli officials asserted that the attack on Rafah will not be shelved.

The IDF occupied the Rafah crossing on May 7 and restricted the entry of both humanitarian personnel and aid supplies.

The death toll from Israeli atrocities has reached 35,272 with 79,141 wounded and many still under the rubble, since October 7.