Arab League Secretary-General Warns of Regional Escalation Due to Provocative Policies

Cairo, July 26 (KUNA) -- Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy warned that the situation in the region is heading toward a highly dangerous point and is nearing a breaking point due to the tension and deadlock surrounding the Palestinian file on one hand, and the miscalculated escalation in the Gulf region on the other.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Fahmy said that all parties bear responsibility for maintaining security and stability in the region, and that the U.S. administration is specifically called upon to shoulder its responsibilities in this regard, particularly after U.S. President Donald Trump launched a peace plan last October to end the war in Gaza.

He added that the second phase of the plan remains stalled nine months after its launch, while approximately two million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip continue to live in dilapidated tents, facing disease and hunger. Meanwhile, officials in the occupation government speak of long-term settlement and expanding control over territories in the Strip.

On the eve of the anticipated meeting between the U.S. president and the Israeli prime minister, the secretary-general called for restraining the occupation government, which aims to sabotage the peace project in Sharm El-Sheikh, halting its repeated violations in holy Jerusalem, and stopping settler groups from attacking and killing Palestinians in the West Bank.

He clarified that this government seeks to undermine the Palestinian presence through settlement expansion, continuing its displacement plan, and hindering the Palestinian Authority’s ability to provide basic services by withholding large sums of its funds.

Fahmy added that President Trump played a pivotal role in reaching the 20-point plan, which was endorsed by the Arab League and the UN Security Council, with the aim of rebuilding Gaza and paving the way for a process leading to the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Fahmy stressed the importance of the U.S. president addressing Israeli procrastination aimed at emptying the peace plan of its substance, prolonging the status quo in Gaza, and proceeding with the de facto annexation of parts of the West Bank.

Regarding the Arabian Gulf region, the secretary-general called for a swift return to compliance with the understandings reached between the United States and Iran, and for resuming negotiations to end the crisis, restore stability to the region, respect the sovereignty and interests of neighboring states, and guarantee freedom of navigation and open waterways for safe passage in the Arabian Gulf and the Bab al-Mandab strait.

Fahmy affirmed that the recent escalation carried out by Iran and the Houthi militias against Gulf Arab states and Jordan is strongly condemned, emphasizing the urgent need to put an immediate end to these transgressions and attacks through de-escalation, a return to the diplomatic track, and full commitment to international law and legitimacy. (End) M.M. / N.S.