Cairo, March 24, 2025 – The ministerial committee formed by the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit on Gaza convened a meeting on March 23, 2025, with Kaja Kallas, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Vice-President of the European Commission.
The meeting, attended by key foreign ministers from Arab and Islamic nations, along with representatives from the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), focused on recent developments in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
The committee expressed deep concern over the collapse of the ceasefire in Gaza and the increasing civilian casualties. They condemned the resumption of hostilities, targeting of civilians, and destruction of infrastructure, urging an immediate return to the ceasefire agreement brokered by Qatar, Egypt, and the U.S. They emphasized the need for its full implementation, including hostage releases, a permanent end to violence, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2735.
The discussion also underscored the urgent need to uphold international humanitarian law, ensure unrestricted humanitarian aid to Gaza, and restore essential services such as electricity and water. The parties supported the Arab Recovery and Reconstruction Plan, emphasizing that it guarantees the Palestinian people remain on their land. They strongly rejected any forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, the West Bank, or East Jerusalem, warning of severe consequences.
Additionally, the committee stressed the importance of the Early Recovery and Reconstruction Conference for Gaza, set to be held in Cairo, calling on the international community to mobilize resources to address the crisis. They also highlighted the necessity of unifying Gaza and the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority (PA), ensuring its ability to govern effectively in pursuit of a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders.
The parties condemned Israeli military incursions in the West Bank, illegal settlement expansion, home demolitions, and settler violence, calling them threats to peace. They also rejected any unilateral actions altering Jerusalem’s legal and historical status.
Reaffirming their commitment to a political resolution to the conflict, they emphasized the two-state solution as the foundation for lasting peace and called for a UN High-Level International Conference in June, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, to advance peace efforts in the region.