Arab Summit 2025: Leaders call for Gaza ceasefire, Palestinian state
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Regional and international leaders called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, emphasized the need for Palestinian statehood, and addressed key regional issues.
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Arab leaders attend the opening session of the 34th Arab League summit in Baghdad on May 17, 2025 (POOL/AFP)
At the 2025 Arab Summit, Arab leaders delivered urgent calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, and a unified approach to regional challenges, including Syria, Sudan, and Lebanon.
This comes as "Israel" continues to heavily bombard the besieged Palestinian enclave and commit massacres against unarmed civilians.
Earlier, the Health Ministry in Gaza said the casualty toll from the ongoing Israeli war has risen to 53,272 martyrs and 120,673 injured since October 7, 2023.
In its daily report, the Ministry said the toll from March 18, when "Israel" reneged on a ceasefire, has risen to 3,131 martyrs and 8,632 injured, while several victims remain under the rubble.
El-Sisi condemns Israeli aggression, urges Gaza ceasefire
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi opened his address by emphasizing that the summit convenes at a critical juncture, with the region facing unprecedented challenges.
He strongly condemned "Israel’s" actions in the Gaza Strip, describing them as part of a systematic campaign of destruction aimed at forcibly displacing Palestinians.
El-Sisi accused "Israel" of targeting civilians indiscriminately, emphasizing that its war machine "has spared neither child nor elder" and has used “hunger and deprivation as weapons.”
Cairo to host reconstruction conference after war
He announced that Egypt, in coordination with Qatar and the United States, is actively working to achieve an immediate and lasting ceasefire.
The Egyptian president also revealed Cairo’s plan to organize an international conference for the reconstruction of Gaza following the end of the Israeli aggression on the Palestinian enclave.
El-Sisi says no peace without Palestinian state
El-Sisi stressed that no normalization agreements will bring "real peace" unless they are accompanied by the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. He declared this to be the only viable path to ending the region’s ongoing cycle of violence.
On other regional issues, he called for leveraging the lifting of US sanctions on Syria, preserving its territorial integrity, ensuring the withdrawal of "Israel" from the occupied Golan Heights, and resuming maritime navigation in the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Red Sea.
He also urged an immediate ceasefire in Sudan and reiterated Egypt’s support for the legitimate government in Somalia.
Palestinian president says Gaza facing genocide, colonialism
Meanwhile, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas warned that the Palestinian cause faces existential threats, describing what is happening in Gaza as acts of genocide and part of a colonial project aimed at dismantling any prospects for Palestinian statehood.
Abbas calls for one state, one law, one weapon
Abbas called on Arab states to adopt a comprehensive plan to end the war on Gaza and achieve "peace". He stressed the need for internal unity and urged Hamas and other factions to hand over their weapons in support of a single Palestinian authority.
He emphasized that the PLO’s political vision is based on the principle of “one state, one law, and one legitimate weapon," warning that any party refusing this framework would not be accepted.
Broader Arab response to Gaza, regional crises
Lebanon rejects Palestinians' resettlement, urges Israeli withdrawal
On his part, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Lebanon is opening a new chapter rooted in sovereignty, while condemning ongoing Israeli violations.
He rejected any efforts to resettle Palestinian refugees and called on the international community to pressure "Israel" to withdraw from occupied Lebanese territory.
Salam called for support to help Syrian refugees secure the means for a dignified life in their homeland.
Jordan demands end to war, emphasizes site custodianship
Jordanian Prime Minister Jaafar Abdul Fattah Hassan described the Gaza tragedy as a "long-term catastrophe", calling for urgent action to end the war and humanitarian disaster. He affirmed support for Gaza’s reconstruction and reiterated that resolving the Palestinian issue is key to regional stability.
Hassan reaffirmed Jordan’s custodianship over Islamic and Christian holy sites in al-Quds, welcomed the lifting of sanctions on Syria, and pledged continued support for Lebanon.
The Jordanian premier also called for greater Arab solidarity to resolve the crises in Yemen, Sudan, and elsewhere.
Damascus rejects any project seeking to weaken state
Meanwhile, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani emphasized that lifting sanctions on Syria is "an important step on the path to recovery and reconstruction."
He affirmed that Syria has already embarked on serious steps toward national dialogue and achieving transitional justice.
Al-Shibani also reiterated Damascus’ rejection of any project that seeks to weaken the state or partition its territory, stressing that Israeli violations in southern Syria pose a real threat to regional stability.
Algerian FM calls for bolstered Arab unity around Palestine
Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf, for his part, stated that "conditions in many of our Arab countries are deteriorating amid foreign interventions aimed at sowing division among the people of a single nation."
He called for bolstering Arab unity around the central Palestinian cause, describing defending Palestine as "a historical duty and a legal and moral responsibility."
Tunisia condemns Israeli aggression on Gaza
Tunisian Foreign Minister Mohamed Ali Nafti condemned the ongoing aggression on Gaza, describing it as not only a violation of international resolutions but also a direct affront to humanitarian and moral principles.
Nafti emphasized that the current regional crisis "requires collective Arab action" to reclaim initiative on core issues. He added, "Our position remains steadfast in supporting the Palestinian people in their struggle to regain all their legitimate rights and to establish an independent state with al-Quds as its capital."
Somalia, Sudan reaffirm support for Palestine
Leaders from Somalia and Sudan echoed that the Palestinian cause remains central to Arab unity. They emphasized the need to establish an independent Palestinian state and called for deeper Arab cooperation to address crises across the region.
Spanish PM, UN chief call for immediate Gaza ceasefire
Similarly, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez emphasized the urgent need "to halt the massacre in Gaza."
Addressing leaders at the Arab League summit, Sanchez underscored that world powers must "intensify our pressure on Israel to halt the massacre in Gaza, particularly through the channels afforded to us by international law."
Spain to propose UN resolution on 'Israel's' war conduct
He announced that the Spanish government is preparing a UN resolution demanding that the International Court of Justice rule on "Israel's" conduct in the war.
Sanchez, who has been among the most vocal European leaders criticizing "Israel's" war on Gaza, condemned the "unacceptable number" of war victims in the Palestinian enclave.
He also underlined that the rising civilian death toll violates the "principle of humanity.”
Guterres 'alarmed' by Israeli plans to expand Gaza ground operation
Similarly, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also addressed the summit, expressing deep concern over reports that "Israel" was entering the early stages of an expanded ground operation in Gaza.
"We need a permanent ceasefire, now," Guterres declared, urging Arab leaders to support efforts to immediately halt the war.
Read more: 34th Arab Summit to address regional crises, boost stability kicks off
