Hamas hails Arab-Islamic ministerial meeting, calls for pressure on Israel to end war

The Palestinian Hamas group on Monday welcomed the outcomes of the Arab-Islamic ministerial committee meeting, urging for more pressure on Israel to end its genocidal war on Gaza and commit to the ceasefire agreement.

Following a meeting in Cairo with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, the Arab-Islamic Ministerial Committee on Sunday expressed “deep concern” over the breakdown of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

In a statement, Hamas called for translating the stances declared during the meeting "into practical steps and real political pressures on the Zionist occupation (Israel) to end its aggression."

Hamas also called for efforts to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid and basic necessities into Gaza, as Israel continues to block the entry of aid and essential goods, pushing Palestinians in Gaza to the brink of famine.

"We affirm our support for every serious Arab and Islamic effort to Gaza's reconstruction, and we appreciate the joint efforts in presenting a clear Arab plan for recovery and reconstruction," the Palestinian resistance group said.

Sunday's ministerial committee meeting, attended by the foreign ministers from Jordan, Palestine, Qatar, Egypt, Türkiye, Indonesia, and Bahrain, and the UAE's minister of state, alongside the secretaries-general of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), underscored the urgency of addressing the latest developments in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The participants deplored “the targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure," urging “an immediate return to the full implementation of the ceasefire agreement, including the release of hostages and detainees," the ministerial committee's final statement said.

The Israeli army has launched a surprise aerial campaign on Gaza since Tuesday, killing more than 700 Palestinians, injuring over 1,000 others, and shattering a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement that took hold in January.

More than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and more than 113,200 injured in a brutal Israeli military onslaught on Gaza since October 2023.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.