ALGIERS, The final communique issued today at the conclusion of the 31st Arab Summit held over the past two days at the Algerian capital affirmed the centrality of the Palestinian cause and expressed unqualified support for the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to freedom, self-determination and the establishment of the fully sovereign and independent Palestinian state on the June 4, 1967 lines with East Jerusalem as its capital, and the right of return and compensation for Palestinian refugees in accordance with United Nations General Assembly Resolution 194 of 1948.
It also affirmed Arab adherence to the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative with all its elements and priorities, commitment to a just and comprehensive peace as a strategic option to end the Israeli occupation of all Arab lands, including the Syrian Golan, and the Lebanese Mazare Shebaa and Kafr Shuba Hills, and to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict on the basis of the principle of land for peace, international law and relevant international resolutions.
The communique stressed the need to continue efforts and actions to protect occupied Jerusalem and its holy sites, and to defend it in the face of the rejected and condemned attempts of the occupiers to change its demographics, Arab Islamic and Christian identity and its historical and legal status quo, including by supporting the historical Hashemite guardianship to protect Islamic and Christian holy sites and the Jerusalem Waqf (endowments) and Al-Aqsa Affairs Department affiliated with the Jordanian Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Sanctuaries as the exclusive authority, as well as the role of Al-Quds Committee and Beit Mal Al-Quds in defending the city of Jerusalem and supporting the resilience of its people.
It called for lifting the Israeli siege on the Gaza Strip, condemning the use of force by the occupying power against the Palestinians, and all barbaric practices, including assassinations and arbitrary arrests, and calling for the release of all prisoners and detainees, especially children, women, the sick and the elderly.
The communique affirmed the adoption and support of the State of Palestine’s approach to obtain full membership in the United Nations, calling on countries that have not yet recognized the State of Palestine to do so, with the need to support Palestinian legal efforts and actions aimed at holding the Israeli occupation accountable for the war crimes and crimes against humanity that it has committed and is still committing against the Palestinian people.
It praised the Arab efforts exerted to unify the Palestinian ranks and welcomed the signing of the “Algeria Declaration” by the Palestinian parties, emanating from the “Unification Conference for Achieving Palestinian National Unity”, held in Algeria on October 11-13, 2022, and emphasizing the need to unify the efforts of Arab countries to accelerate the achievement of this goal.
Source: Palestine News & Info Agency