Arab League Chief urges quick move to phase two of Trump's Gaza plan

CAIRO, Jan 14 (KUNA) -- Arab League Secretary-General Ahmad Aboul Gheit on Wednesday stressed the importance of moving as quickly as possible to the second phase of US President Donald Trump's plan concerning the Gaza Strip, while warning against continued attempts by the Israeli occupation to delay implementation to entrench the status quo and avoid withdrawal from the territory.
In a press statement, the Arab League said Aboul Gheit made the remarks during a meeting with the Secretary-General of Fatah's Central Committee and President of the Palestinian Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, Jibril Rajoub.
Aboul Gheit emphasized during the meeting the need for the international community to confront what he described as Israeli schemes aimed at undermining political efforts and prolonging the current situation in Gaza.
The statement added that the meeting discussed the overall Palestinian situation, ways to keep the two-state solution firmly on the international agenda, and mechanisms to translate international positions supporting the Palestinian people and rejecting Israeli brutality into tangible political gains.
Meantime, the Arab League strongly condemned the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque on January 13 by the extremist Israeli Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, accompanied by some 270 settlers, and their performance of provocative Talmudic rituals in its courtyards under the protection of Israeli occupation forces.
In a press statement issued by the Arab League's Department of Palestine and the Occupied Arab Territories, the organization said these actions represent a flagrant violation of the historical and legal status of Al-Aqsa Mosque and a direct assault on the sanctity of Islamic holy sites, describing the incident as a serious escalation threatening peace and security in occupied Jerusalem.
The statement also condemned the storming of the Jerusalem Health Center, affiliated with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), by Israeli occupation forces and the orders to close it. The Arab League said the move constitutes the continuation of the implementation of the Israeli Knesset's unlawful law prohibiting UNRWA operations in the occupied Palestinian territories. (end) aff.aa