TUNIS, Tunisia

Israel’s "logic of arrogance and power" failed in the face of the Palestinian people's determination, Tunisian Foreign Minister Nabil Ammar said Monday.

"It is not possible anymore for the world to dismiss the root cause of the conflict, which has always been the (Israeli) occupation," Ammar said in his speech at the 8th Regional Forum of the Union for the Mediterranean in the Spanish city of Barcelona.

"We confirm that the logic of arrogance and power as well as the excessive violence by the occupation entity to diminish the determination of the Palestinian people have failed," he said.

Ammar added that empowering the Palestinian people and their legitimate rights are a basic condition for the Union for the Mediterranean to realize its goals.

The Union for the Mediterranean, an intergovernmental organization of 43 member states, was founded 15 years ago in the wake of the Oslo Accords in the spirit of shared peace and prosperity for the Mediterranean region.

Israel, one of the group’s founding members, did not send a representative to Monday's meeting.

Israel launched a massive military campaign in the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7.

It has since killed at least 14,854 Palestinians, including 6,150 children and more than 4,000 women, according to health authorities in the enclave.

The official Israeli death toll stands at 1,200.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar