BRICS Summit: UAE reiterates calls for protection of civilian lives and immediate ceasefire in Israel-Gaza conflict
[ad_1]
Dubai: President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has reiterated the UAE’s call for the protection of civilian lives, unrestricted humanitarian access and an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
“The international community has a great responsibility to pursue all efforts aimed at ending the conflict and achieving a just and lasting peace,” Sheikh Mohamed said at a virtual BRICS summit on Tuesday.
Pretoria hosts the virtual meeting of the BRICS, a group of major emerging economies that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, whose aim is to develop a common response to the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The group agreed in August to expand by adding the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt and Argentina as members.
At Tuesday’s summit, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman demanded a serious start to a comprehensive peace process to establish a Palestinian state along the 1967 borders.
Saudis urge countries to stop exporting weapons to Israel
“The position of the Kingdom is constant and firm; There is no way to achieve security and stability in Palestine except through the implementation of international decisions related to the two-state solution,” said Crown Prince Mohammad.
The Crown Prince also called on all countries to stop exporting weapons to Israel.
Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping urged all parties to the Gaza conflict to immediately cease fire, end all attacks on civilians and release detained civilians to prevent further loss of life and suffering. according to Chinese state media.
It is also important to ensure the safe and smooth passage of humanitarian aid, expand humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza, and stop the forced relocation and cutoff of water, electricity and oil affecting the people of Gaza, Xi said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a virtual summit of the BRICS group of nations as Chinese President Xi Jinping addresses members.
Image credit: AFP
Xi called for an “international peace conference” to resolve the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
“There can be no sustainable peace and security in the Middle East without a just solution to the Palestine question,” Xi said, speaking through an interpreter.
“China calls for an early convening of an international peace conference that has more authority to build an international consensus for peace,” he said.
Early solution
Such a conference, Xi added, would “work toward an early solution to the Palestinian question that is comprehensive, just and sustainable.”
“Since the outbreak of the latest Palestinian-Israeli conflict, China has been actively working to promote peace talks and a ceasefire,” he said.
Beijing, he said, “has provided humanitarian assistance to help alleviate the difficult humanitarian situation in Gaza” and would continue to do so.
Russian President Vladimir Putin called for a political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and said regional states and members of the BRICS group of countries could participate in efforts to reach such an agreement.
In televised comments, Putin once again blamed the Middle East crisis on the failure of American diplomacy in the region.
“We call for joint efforts from the international community aimed at de-escalating the situation, a ceasefire and finding a political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. And the BRICS states and countries of the region could play a key role in this work,” Putin said.
He did not elaborate on how such an effort might be organized.
War crime: Ramaphosa
“Due to the sabotage of UN decisions, which clearly provide for the creation and peaceful coexistence of two independent and sovereign States – Israel and Palestine -, more than one generation of Palestinians has been raised in an atmosphere of injustice towards their people, and the Israelis cannot fully guarantee the security of their state,” Putin said.
Fighting has broken out in Gaza after Hamas gunmen killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, during cross-border raids on October 7, the deadliest attack in Israel’s history.
In retaliation, Israel launched a relentless bombing campaign and ground offensive in Hamas-ruled Gaza.
According to Hamas, the war has killed more than 13,300 people, thousands of them children.
“The collective punishment of Palestinian civilians through Israel’s illegal use of force is a war crime. The deliberate denial of medicine, fuel, food and water to Gaza residents amounts to genocide,” the president said. South African Cyril Ramaphosa.
South Africa has long been a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause, and the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party often links it to its own fight against apartheid.
Earlier this month, it withdrew all its diplomats from Israel and last week joined four other nations in calling for an International Criminal Court investigation into the conflict.
On Monday, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said it had also recalled its ambassador in Pretoria for consultations. — With contributions from AFP and Reuters
[ad_2]
