Manama - New York: Europe and the Arabs - Agencies
The Kingdom of Bahrain has completed its preparations to host the summit-level meeting of the Arab League Council in its thirty-third regular session, which will be held next Thursday, in the capital, Manama, under the chairmanship of Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.
The Summit Preparation Committee, headed by General Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, Bahraini Minister of Interior, has intensified the pace of preparation and organization, through continuous meetings and field follow-up around the clock, to ensure the success of the Arab Summit, an embodiment of Bahrain’s supportive approach to every effort aimed at achieving Arab unity and solidarity, and its support for the efforts undertaken by the League of Arab States to strengthen the system of joint Arab action.
The summit's media center has also completed its preparations to facilitate the work of media professionals, by providing them with all necessary logistical and technical services, and enriching the content of their media coverage, commensurate with the importance of the event and the broad media presence.
The Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Mr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, confirmed that the “Bahrain Summit” is of great importance due to the precise timing in which it is held, as the Arab region faces unprecedented challenges on more than one level, most notably the continuation of the barbaric Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, in addition to the deteriorating situation. Humanitarian and political in a number of countries in the region.
This came during Ahmed bin Salman Al-Musallam, Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Kingdom of Bahrain, yesterday, Sunday, receiving the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, on the occasion of his visit to Manama to participate in the work of the thirty-third Arab Summit “Bahrain Summit” and the preparatory meetings for the summit, in the presence of Ambassador Hossam Zaki, Assistant Secretary-General. For the Arab League.
Aboul Gheit praised the keenness and interest shown by King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of Bahrain, in supporting and strengthening joint Arab action.
He stressed that the “Bahrain Summit” is pivotal in forming a unified Arab position on these serious issues, and expressed his confidence in the ability of the Kingdom of Bahrain to host the summit’s work and come out of it in the best possible way in all aspects.
On the ground, the Israeli bombing continues, and the Israeli occupation forces launched an air strike targeting the Al-Geneina neighborhood, east of the city of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian media reports.
A number of Palestinians were martyred and others were injured yesterday, Sunday, in artillery and occupation air strikes on various areas of the Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian Wafa Agency.
In Beit Lahia, the bodies of 12 martyrs arrived at Kamal Adwan Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip, while dozens of missing persons are still under the rubble as a result of the ongoing raids on the city of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip.
Press sources said that the occupation forces expanded their incursion east of the town and Jabalia camp, and opened fire towards shelters for displaced people.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, expressed deep sadness over the rapid deterioration of the situation in Gaza, as Israeli forces intensify their air strikes on Jabalia and Beit Lahia in northern Gaza and in parts of the central Strip.
In a statement issued yesterday, Sunday, Türk said that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are fleeing Rafah after Israeli forces ordered more evacuations from the southern city, which again led to the displacement of large numbers of residents who are already suffering from deep psychological trauma. The UN official also expressed concern about reports of indiscriminate rocket launches from Gaza.
He reported that since May 6, when the Israeli army issued an evacuation order for Palestinians in eastern Rafah, more than 278,000 people have been displaced, including people with disabilities, those with chronic diseases, the elderly, the wounded, pregnant women, and many others who cannot move. Physically without assistance.
Turk said the latest evacuation orders affect nearly a million people in Rafah, asking, “Where should they go now?”
He stressed that there is no safe place in Gaza, adding, "These exhausted and hungry people, many of whom have already been displaced several times, do not have good options."