On October 17, 2024, the Secretary General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, issued a strong condemnation of the recent Israeli airstrike on Nabatieh, southern Lebanon, which resulted in the deaths and injuries of dozens of people, including the mayor and several relief workers. The airstrike has drawn significant criticism, with Aboul Gheit accusing Israel of indiscriminately targeting civilians and essential infrastructure in Lebanon, mirroring its ongoing military campaign in Gaza.
In his statement, Aboul Gheit expressed deep concern over what he described as Israel's increasing arrogance and disregard for international criticism. He noted that even rational voices in Europe, which have criticized Israel's brutal military conduct, are being ignored. According to the secretary general, Israel’s continued military actions are part of a larger strategy that involves forcibly displacing populations and escalating violence against civilians, particularly in northern Gaza. Aboul Gheit pointed out that the current Israeli actions are more ferocious than those at the beginning of the war, suggesting a deliberate effort to pursue forced displacement, even targeting civilians who are already displaced and living in tents.
The Secretary General further underscored the severity of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, stating that the situation has surpassed all conceivable levels of criminality. He warned that the international community’s failure to intervene and halt these actions would amount to complicity in the violence through its silence. Aboul Gheit called on the global community to take a firm stand and prevent the bloodshed from spreading to Lebanon, urging immediate action to protect Lebanese civilians from a similar fate.