Arab League Calls for Accountability of Israeli Occupation Officials for Genocide Crimes in Gaza

Cairo, October 18 (KUNA) -- The Arab League called on Sunday for holding accountable those responsible for the genocide committed by Israeli occupation forces against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, and for ensuring they do not escape punishment. It urged serious international action to guarantee the rights of victims and achieve justice.

This was stated in a speech by Faid Mustafa, the Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab League for the Palestine and Occupied Arab Lands sector, delivered on behalf of Secretary-General Nabil al-Arabi during an event organized by the League in cooperation with the Permanent Representation of Palestine to the League to commemorate the victims of genocide in Gaza.

Mustafa said that the seriousness of initiatives proposed to end the war is measured by their tangible results, foremost of which are stopping the killing, protecting civilians, delivering aid, the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces, and the restoration of Palestinian rights.

He warned against the danger that the continued deprivation of the population of water, food, medicine, and shelter could turn harsh humanitarian conditions into a tool to force them to leave their land. He stressed that protecting them from forced displacement and guaranteeing their right to remain on their land is a legal and humanitarian responsibility that admits no delay.

He also called for ensuring the unhindered entry of humanitarian aid, securing medical, food, and fuel supplies, restarting water and sewage networks, clearing rubble, restoring basic services, and providing shelter for displaced persons, thereby enabling them to live with dignity and safety.

Mustafa noted that the continued military presence of the occupation and its control over large areas of the Strip raise questions about the commitment to ceasefire obligations and hinder the transition to peace and recovery. He explained that true security is not achieved through control and threats, but by ending the occupation, respecting the law, and enabling Palestinians to manage their affairs within a unified national framework.

He affirmed that "reconstructing Gaza should be a process led by Palestinians, with Arab and international support, preserving the residents' rights to land and property, ensuring their participation in determining their future, and linked to a political process that ends the occupation and achieves Palestinian independence."

In this regard, Mustafa called on the international community to translate commitments into practical results, mobilize resources, remove obstacles, and ensure the implementation of obligations. He stressed that any peace process must preserve the unity of Palestinian land and guarantee the Palestinian people's right to self-determination and the establishment of their independent, sovereign state on the lines of June 4, 1967, with Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.

For his part, Muhammad al-Yamah, President of the Arab Parliament and Chairman of its Palestine Committee, said that "commemorating the victims of genocide renews the commitment to defend the rights of the Palestinian people alongside achieving justice and holding those responsible for crimes committed against them accountable."

Al-Yamah added that the Arab Parliament supports the proposal by the State of Palestine to designate October 17 of each year to remember the victims of genocide and perpetuate their memory in Arab and international consciousness.

He pointed out that this step "transcends its symbolic dimension to constitute a political, legal, and ethical stance against attempts to obscure the truth," emphasizing that "crimes committed against the Palestinian people cannot be subject to statutes of limitations."

Al-Yamahi also referred to the report of the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry, issued on September 16, 2025, which concluded that Israeli occupation authorities and forces had committed the crime of genocide in the Gaza Strip, emphasizing the necessity of fulfilling international obligations to end these crimes and hold those responsible accountable, in accordance with the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. In the same context, Al-Yamahi highlighted the Arab Parliament’s use of its parliamentary diplomatic tools to mobilize regional and international support for the path of justice and accountability, through official meetings, participation in international forums, and addressing letters to the United Nations, as well as regional and international unions and parliaments, to support the commemoration of this anniversary, preserve evidence and documents, and back legal avenues for prosecuting those responsible. In this regard, he called on the United Nations and international institutions to cooperate with investigative mechanisms and international judicial bodies, ensure the preservation of evidence and protection of witnesses, and enable investigators to access relevant sites to conduct independent, impartial, and transparent investigations. He also urged parliaments to “take clear stances and translate solidarity into tangible political and institutional pressure to end impunity.” Regarding humanitarian aid, Al-Yamahi stressed the need to ensure a sustainable flow of humanitarian assistance to Gaza and to protect medical and humanitarian facilities, emphasizing that the ongoing violations in the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem—including settlement expansion, land confiscation, and attacks on civilians—require addressing the root causes of the tragedy, foremost of which is ending the occupation. He reaffirmed that the Palestinian issue remains the central priority of the Arab nation, and that the Arab Parliament will continue to defend the Palestinian people’s rights to freedom, self-determination, and the establishment of an independent, sovereign state with Jerusalem as its capital. He considered that October 17 will remain a renewed pledge not to forget the victims, to not squander their rights, or to leave those responsible for crimes beyond accountability. It is worth noting that Kuwait’s Permanent Representative to the League of Arab States, Ambassador Talal Al-Mutairi, represented the State of Kuwait at this event. (End) M.M. / F.L.A.