GCC Foreign Ministers sent a joint letter to their US counterpart Antony Blinken condemning remarks by an Israeli minister, Jassim Muhammad Al-Budaiwi, Secretary General of Gulf Cooperation Council stated.

Israeli Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich had said that the town of Huwara must be erased and denied the existence of the Palestinian people.

The Secretary General indicated that the letter asserted the stance of their Majesties and Highnesses the heads of state of the GCC regarding Palestine, and that it is considered as the topmost cause of Arabs and Muslims.

Al-Budaiwi stated that the communique of the 155th session of the GCC Ministerial Council, which was held on March 22, 2023, reiterated the GCC's support for the sovereignty of the Palestinian people over all Palestinian lands occupied since June 1967, the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, guaranteeing all the legitimate rights of Palestinian people, and rejecting settlement in the occupied Palestinian lands.

The letter thanked the US for opposing the Israeli minister's remarks, urging it to take acting against all actions and statements targeting the Palestinian people.It also called on the American administration to fulfill its role in reaching a just, comprehensive, and lasting solution to the conflict, based on the principles of international law and the Arab Peace Initiative.

The Secretary General stressed the GCC's condemnation of the recent Israeli violations against the Palestinian people, including crimes committed in Jenin, Huwara, Burin, Asira al-Qibliya, and other towns, which have claimed the lives of Palestinians, left dozens injured and destroyed their homes and property.

He also affirmed condemnation of the violation of the sanctity Al Aqsa Mosque, targeting the Palestinian presence in Jerusalem, and attempting to change its legal status, demographic composition, and arrangements for Islamic holy places.

Source: Bahrain News Agency