Arab League commemorates Int'l Day of Solidarity with Palestinian People

China

Arab League commemorates Int'l Day of Solidarity with Palestinian People

2024-12-02 14:48 Last Updated At：20:27

The Arab League (AL), formally the League of Arab States, on Sunday held an event to commemorate the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, calling on the international community to protect the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.

The event was held in Cairo, capital of Egypt, at the Arab League headquarters, with permanent representatives of the Arab League member states, envoys of some countries and representatives of international organizations attending the event.

Liao Liqiang, Chinese ambassador to Egypt and plenipotentiary envoy to the Arab League, also attended the event.

Addressing the event, Saeed Abu Ali, AL assistant secretary-general for Palestine and occupied Arab territories affairs and also representative of AL secretary-general Ahmed Aboul-Gheit, reiterated in his speech that the two-state solution is the only way to resolve the Palestinian issue.

"We respect those countries that recognize Palestine as an independent country as they have recognized that if an independent Palestinian state with its borders set on June 4, 1967 and with East Jerusalem as its capital cannot be established in this region, the region will not see security and stability. We hope that all countries can take this action, which is expected to help realize the two-state solution," he said.

Representatives of many countries condemned the continuous crimes committed by Israel against the Palestinian people, and called on the international community to take further actions to protect the legitimate rights of the Palestinians.

The Arab League awarded organizations and individuals including the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) for their contributions to supporting the Palestinian cause.

The Arab League is a regional organization in the Arab world. It was formed in Cairo in 1945, initially with seven members: Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and North Yemen. Currently, it has 22 members.

S Africa declares national disaster as flooding batters northern region

South Africa's National Disaster Management Centre declared a national disaster on Sunday as heavy rains and flooding continued to batter northern parts of the country.

According to local media reports, continuous rainfall since late December has caused severe flooding in Limpopo Province, where at least 17 people, including two children, have died. Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Velenkosini Hlabisa said in a statement on Sunday that 20 people had been killed in flood-related incidents in Mpumalanga Province.

More than 1,600 homes and 31 schools have been affected in Limpopo, while over 1,000 homes in Mpumalanga have suffered varying degrees of damage. The flooding has also forced the partial closure of Kruger National Park, one of Africa's largest wildlife reserves, with more than 600 visitors evacuated after rising waters inundated access roads and campsites.

The South African National Defence Force has deployed two helicopters to assist with rescue operations and evacuate residents stranded in hard-hit areas.