Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on Sunday (February 12th) at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo for the world to “
protect
” Palestinians from Israel “
which has crossed all red lines
”, as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict sees a sharp escalation .
Last year was, according to the UN, the deadliest in the occupied West Bank since 2005: AFP recorded 235 dead, nearly 90% Palestinians.
And in 2023, from official Israeli and Palestinian sources, at least 43 Palestinians, nine Israeli civilians and one Ukrainian woman were killed.
"An intensification of our efforts"
Faced with increasing attacks, land and air raids and rocket attacks, the Arab League convened a "
Summit for Jerusalem
" of Arab foreign ministers on Sunday.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi - whose country is a historical mediator with Israelis and Palestinians -, Abdallah II, the King of Jordan - in charge of Christian and Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem - and Mahmoud Abbas opened the discussions.
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"
The current situation calls for an intensification of our efforts
," pleaded Abdullah II, to whom US President Joe Biden recently affirmed his "
strong support for a two-state solution
", Israeli and Palestinian.
This partition that the entire international community advocates would mean the dismantling of Israeli colonies in the occupied Palestinian territories and the partition of Jerusalem, which Israel categorically refuses, today led by the most right-wing government in its history.
"Every day more than one martyr"
“
Mr. Biden
says he supports, but he does nothing at all
,” accused Mahmoud Abbas during his river speech.
The Palestinians will go “
in a few days before the UN Security Council
” and intend to seize the International Criminal Court (ICC) because they now have “
every day more than one martyr
”, he hammered.
By videoconference, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said that "
the position of the UN is clear: it refuses unilateral decisions
", citing in particular "
the illegal Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem
", Palestinian part of the City holy.
The Arab League, which has been losing momentum for years, is increasingly divided on the question of Israel: three new Arab countries have recognized it in 2020 - Morocco, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates and Sudan reiterated in February want to go "
towards normalization
".
Egypt and Jordan took the plunge several decades ago.