Foreign ministers from Arab countries have called for Israel’s full withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, including from the Philadelphi Corridor and the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing. This demand was made in a resolution issued after the 162nd session of the Arab League (AL) Council at the ministerial level, held in Cairo, Egypt.
The ministers firmly rejected Israel’s plans for “the day after its aggression” and opposed any Israeli control over any part of Gaza. The meeting was attended by officials from the United Nations, the European Union, and, for the first time in 13 years, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, marking a notable Turkish diplomatic presence at an AL ministerial meeting.
The resolution emphasized that the Palestine-Egypt borders are sovereign and “should not be touched.” It called for the Rafah crossing to be operated according to established rules and urged the removal of all barriers to ensure safe, adequate, and swift humanitarian access through the crossing.
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In May, the Israeli army took control of the Philadelphi Corridor—a 100-meter-wide buffer zone along the Egypt-Gaza border—and the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, halting the entry of humanitarian aid trucks into Gaza. On September 2, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israeli forces would “not withdraw” from the corridor, arguing that maintaining control was essential to prevent future weapons smuggling from Egypt to Gaza.
The Arab League resolution dismissed Netanyahu’s statements as “allegations and lies” and described them as “desperate attempts” to justify his refusal to withdraw from the corridor and to undermine mediation efforts by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States. The resolution added that his actions were aimed at distracting from his government’s provocative policies against the Palestinian people.
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The ministers also reaffirmed the illegality of Israel’s continued presence in Gaza and called for an immediate end to its illegal occupation and the dismantling of all settlement activities. They agreed to officially support the lawsuit filed by South Africa against Israel before the International Court of Justice, the UN’s principal judicial body.
Additionally, the ministers urged the International Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants for Israeli leaders who, they believe, have committed crimes within the court’s jurisdiction, as stated in the resolution.
