Manama [Bahrain], May 17: The Arab League Summit in Bahrain concluded today with the "Bahrain Declaration," a comprehensive statement addressing the Palestinian cause.
The declaration calls for the deployment of UN peacekeepers to the occupied territories, until a lasting two-state solution to the Palestinian cause is found.
The final communique also discussed the conflicts in Libya, Sudan, Syria and Yemen, among other points.
In more detail, the summit adopted calls by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to "convene an international conference under the auspices of the United Nations, to resolve the Palestinian issue on the basis of the two-state solution."
The declaration called for an "immediate" ceasefire in Gaza and an end to forced displacement in the Palestinian territory.
The convening leaders underscored the need to immediately halt the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, the withdrawal of the Israeli occupation forces from all areas of the Strip, the lifting of the siege imposed on it, the removal of all obstacles and the opening of all crossings for the entry of adequate humanitarian assistance throughout it, and enabling United Nations organisations, especially the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) to operate, and to provide them with financial support to carry out their responsibilities freely and securely. They reiterated categorical rejection of any attempts to forcibly displace the Palestinian people from their land in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
The declaration condemned the Israeli forces' control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah Crossing and called on Israel to withdraw from Rafah, in order to ensure safe humanitarian access.
The Declaration also urged "all Palestinian factions to join under the umbrella of the Palestine Liberation Organisation. It added that it considered the PLO "the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.
It strongly condemned the attacks on commercial ships, saying they threaten freedom of navigation, international trade, and the interests of countries and peoples of the world. The Declaration affirmed the Arab nations' commitment to ensuring freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and surrounding regions.
Source: Emirates News Agency