Gaza 'ceasefire is not a permanent solution,' Arab League chief says

​​​​​​HAMILTON, Canada

Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit on Thursday stated that the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip does not provide a lasting solution, noting that peace can only be achieved by fulfilling the Palestinian people's right to an independent state.

Describing Israel's 15-month campaign of attacks as a "war of genocide" against Gaza, Gheit told the UN Security Council that "the ceasefire is not a permanent solution."

"The basis for peace can only be achieved by the realization of the Palestinian people of their right to an independent state on the borders of June 1967 with East Jerusalem as its capital," he said.

Noting that Israel's continued denial of Palestinians rights is "a threat to international peace and security," Gheit said the attacks "did not stop at the borders of Gaza or Palestine, but has spilled over and its flames have reached the region."

He urged the Council to join the global alliance for the implementation of a two-state solution.

On Syria, Gheit expressed hope for "a successful transition" and warned against "Israeli expansionist greed in Syria and the exploitation of the delicate moment."

"I emphasize here the need to remain committed to the disengagement agreement of 1974 as the basis for the truce between Syria and Israel," he said, stressing that occupation of the Golan Heights is "illegal and unjustified, except by the expansionist desires of Israel."

Since Syrian anti-regime groups overthrew Bashar Assad on Dec. 8, Israel has intensified its airstrikes across Syria violating the country’s sovereignty.

Israel has also unilaterally terminated the 1974 Disengagement Agreement with Syria, deploying forces in the demilitarized buffer zone in the occupied Golan Heights. The move has been condemned by the UN and Arab nations.

While Israel claims its presence is temporary, officials have hinted at the necessity of maintaining influence in Syria for the foreseeable future.

The Arab League chief reported that the organization's efforts to support the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and drew attention to "the risks of the Israeli plans that aim to undermine the UNRWA and to eliminate its critical role."

Calling the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) "irreplaceable," Gheit stated that it "is not only carrying out a humanitarian role, but it is a pillar of stability in the Arab region."

"We look forward to a decisive role from the Security Council in defending this specialized agency," he said.

Algeria's Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf called for "bolstering" relations between the Arab League and the UN, as he highlighted the importance of strengthening "cooperation and coordination and integration" between the two.

"We are finding ourselves at a historic moment in time," he said, to "make up for the mistakes of the past."

He echoed the Arab League chief and said the Gaza ceasefire must lead to a political process and promote "a just, lasting and comprehensive, complete solution; namely the two-state solution."

Attaf expressed hope for the partnership between the UN and the Arab League to "bring an end to the phenomenon of external interference in all forms."