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17-05-2025
BAGHDAD: Israel’s war on Gaza is dominating the talks at the annual summit of the Arab League in Baghdad, alongside other regional crises.
In his opening speech at the 34th Arab Summit on Saturday, Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said; “this genocide (in Gaza) has reached a level of ugliness unparalleled in all conflicts in history.”
Iraq backs the creation of an “Arab fund to support reconstruction efforts” after crises in the region, Sudani told the summit, adding that Iraq will contribute $20m for the reconstruction of Gaza and another $20m for Lebanon, which has also been in conflict with Israel.
The Iraqi prime minister said Baghdad rejects “the forced displacement of Palestinians”, calling for an end to “the massacres in Gaza, the attacks on the West Bank and the occupied territories”.
“We have called, and continue to call, for serious and responsible Arab action to save Gaza and reactivate the UNRWA,” he said, referring to the UN body for Palestinian aid.
Saturday’s talks in the Iraqi capital come only a day after United States President Donald Trump completed his Middle East tour, triggering hopes of a ceasefire and the renewal of aid delivery to Gaza.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was the first Arab leader to arrive in Baghdad on Friday. But a diplomatic source told media that most Gulf countries are being represented at the summit at a ministerial level. (Int’l Monitoring Desk)
