Jordan conference for Gaza relief demands urgent ceasefire, aid

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
11 Jun 2024 18:41

Participants in the "Urgent Humanitarian Response for Gaza" conference emphasize the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the allowance of humanitarian aid entry.

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A plenary session during the "Call for Action: Urgent Humanitarian Response for Gaza" conference, at the Dead Sea, Jordan Tuesday, June 11, 2024. (AP)

Participants in the "Urgent Humanitarian Response for Gaza" conference, held in Jordan, called for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and an end to the genocidal massacres being committed by the Israeli occupation against Palestinian civilians.

In his speech at the conference, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said it is time to stop the suffering of our people in Gaza, which has been ongoing for eight months, as well as the hardships in the occupied West Bank and al-Quds.

Abbas affirmed that the government is ready to assume its duties in the Gaza Strip as it does in the West Bank, including managing all the crossings. He called for pressure on "Israel" to open all land crossings and hand them over to the new government.

The Palestinian President added that a ceasefire is necessary, along with the withdrawal of the occupation forces from the Gaza Strip to allow the state of Palestine to perform its duties.

Abbas reiterated that a political solution based on international legitimacy and the Arab initiative requires full membership for the state of Palestine in the United Nations and recognition by more countries worldwide.

Facilitating aid entry to Gaza

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasized on Tuesday that more than a million people in Gaza need urgent humanitarian assistance. He noted that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) plays a crucial role in humanitarian aid in Gaza.

The UN Secretary-General also called on all parties to agree to US President Joe Biden's ceasefire proposal in Gaza, pointing out that any agreement must include facilitating aid entry into Gaza.

Rejecting attempts to displace Palestinians

On his part, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Jordanian King Abdullah II warned of the severe repercussions of continued Israeli military operations in Gaza. They stressed the necessity of reaching an immediate and lasting ceasefire in Gaza and protecting civilians.

President al-Sisi and King Abdullah reaffirmed their rejection of any attempts to displace Palestinians from their lands.

Sisi called on countries to pressure "Israel" to stop using hunger as a weapon in Gaza and to eliminate obstacles to delivering humanitarian aid.

In a similar vein, King Abdullah indicated that every place in Gaza is vulnerable to destruction, stating that the military operation in Rafah has worsened the deteriorating situation, forcibly displacing approximately one million Gaza residents.

Israeli aggression revealed the fragility of the international system

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani criticized the international system, on Tuesday, for its "fragility and inability" to stop the genocide being inflicted on Palestinians in Gaza.

In his speech, al-Sudani said the aggression on Gaza had exposed the international system's fragility and failure to fulfill its duties and responsibilities, leaving the world helpless in the face of the horrifying number of Palestinian casualties.

He emphasized that the aggression has exacerbated the humanitarian and economic situation throughout Gaza, causing displacement, home demolitions, and destruction of infrastructure and most service facilities, educational institutions, and health institutions.

Lebanon ready to provide medical aid to Gaza's wounded

Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced that Lebanon is ready to provide medical assistance to Gaza's wounded, affirming that the Israeli shelling of southern Lebanon is a continuation of the destructive plan in Gaza.

He added, "We are also ready to cooperate with the Palestinian Authority to complete the necessary administrative arrangements to facilitate the passage of the wounded for treatment and then return them quickly to their homeland."

Mikati urged the world's countries to intervene forcefully to stop what is happening after 75 years of ignoring Palestinian rights, expressing hope that the recent UN Security Council resolution 2735 would be the first step toward stability and the anticipated peace for Palestinians to achieve their right to an independent state.

The "Urgent Humanitarian Response for Gaza" conference is being held at the King Hussein Bin Talal Convention Center on the shores of the Dead Sea, Jordan. It is jointly organized by the United Nations, Jordan, and Egypt, with representatives from 75 countries and heads of international humanitarian and relief organizations.

The conference aims to "identify ways to enhance the international community's response to the humanitarian disaster in Gaza," according to a statement from the Jordanian Royal Court.