Hamas hails Arab Summit, calls for sanctions on 'Israel'
4 Min Read
Hamas calls on the Arab League and global community to impose sanctions on "Israel" and stop the Gaza genocide, while praising the Baghdad summit’s support for Palestinian rights.
-
Hamas fighters stand in formation ahead of a ceremony to hand over Israeli captives to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, Gaza Strip, February 22, 2025 (AP)
The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas called on the Arab League and the broader international community to urgently intervene to halt the ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip and to impose sanctions on the fascist Israeli occupation.
In a statement issued on Saturday, coinciding with the 34th session of the Arab League summit held in Baghdad, Hamas condemned the “brutal and systematic campaign of extermination” carried out by the Israeli occupation forces in Gaza.
The group warned that hundreds of civilians had been martyred or wounded as a result of intensified bombardment on residential areas and shelters, amid a suffocating blockade and total disruption of humanitarian aid.
Hamas highlighted the escalation in northern Gaza, where aerial and artillery strikes have forced hundreds of families into displacement, fleeing in search of safety as “death and shells rain down on them.”
Hamas urges Arab League for action
The movement urged the Arab summit to assume its “historic responsibility” by adopting practical measures to stop the aggression, lift the blockade, and implement the resolutions of the 2023 Riyadh summit that called for the immediate entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza. It also demanded urgent Arab and international sanctions on "Israel" and accountability for its leaders as war criminals.
Later, Hamas welcomed the outcomes of the Baghdad summit, praising the unified Arab stance expressed in the leaders' speeches, which called for an end to the war on Gaza, the opening of border crossings, and the delivery of aid.
The movement also commended the summit’s final declaration, which included a clear condemnation of the aggression, a firm rejection of forced displacement, and a strong reaffirmation of the centrality of the Palestinian cause and the right of return, freedom, and statehood with Al-Quds as the capital.
Demanding support for Gaza
Hamas called for translating these stances into “concrete, urgent actions” including activating the Arab-Islamic recovery plan, rebuilding Gaza, supporting orphans and the wounded, and implementing the resolutions of the Riyadh Arab-Islamic Summit held in November 2023.
Finally, Hamas reiterated its support for any responsible national unity initiative rooted in a unified resistance project that reflects the will of the Palestinian people and advances their goals of liberation, return, and self-determination.
Palestine at the heart of the Arab consensus
The summit’s closing statement reaffirmed the centrality of the Palestinian cause as the cause of the Arab nation and a cornerstone of regional stability. The Arab leaders expressed absolute support for the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to freedom, self-determination, and the establishment of an independent State of Palestine.
Participants called for an immediate halt to the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and demanded intensified efforts to pressure for the opening of crossings and the delivery of humanitarian aid to all Palestinian territories. The statement also emphasized the need to implement relevant UN Security Council resolutions issued since the onset of the aggression.
The leaders rejected any form of forced displacement of Palestinians from their land under any pretext and welcomed international recognition of the State of Palestine. The statement particularly commended Spain, Norway, and Ireland for their recent recognition and urged other nations to follow suit.
Support was also expressed for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s call to convene an international peace conference aimed at resolving the Palestinian issue on the basis of international legitimacy.
