ANKARA: Nine Arab countries on Thursday demanded that the UN Security Council enforce an immediate cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.
The call was made in a joint statement issued by the foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, and Morocco.
The statement condemned “the targeting of civilians, forced displacement, and the policy of collective punishment”, Anadolu Agency reported.
Signatories called on the council “to obligate the parties for an immediate and sustainable cease-fire, and to work to ensure and facilitate rapid, safe and sustainable access for humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip without obstacles in accordance with humanitarian principles,” it reported Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
On Wednesday, the council failed to pass two resolutions calling for a cease-fire in Gaza, drafted by the US and Russia.
Previously, resolutions drafted by Russia and Brazil were also rejected due to vetoes by permanent members of the council.
Over 7,028 Palestinians in Gaza and West Bank were killed in Israeli airstrikes since Oct 7.
Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have been running out of food, water, medicine, and fuel, and aid convoys allowed into Gaza have carried only a fraction of what is needed. — BERNAMA-ANADOLU AGENCY
