Algeria Calls For Immediate Ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon
Algeria’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Amar Bendjama, called on Monday, during an urgent meeting of the Security Council on the situation in the Middle East that was held at the invitation of Algeria, China and Russia, to impose an “immediate and permanent ceasefire” in Gaza and Lebanon.
“We call on all members of the Security Council to work to establish an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, and to end the Israeli occupation of all Arab lands,” Bendjama said.
He referred to the warnings he had issued since the beginning of Algeria’s term in the Security Council last January regarding “the danger of the Israeli aggression on Gaza spreading to the rest of the Middle East region”, warning that this danger had become “a reality”.
“We are facing a regional conflict with dire consequences that could extend to the world.” He expressed his regret at the hesitation of some members of the Council to classify the current situation as a threat to international peace and security, stressing that “the Israeli attacks constitute a blatant assault on international peace.”
He stressed the need for the Security Council to take action to restore international peace and security, reiterating Algeria’s condemnation “in the strongest terms” of the recent Israeli military attacks on Iran, affirming Algeria’s full solidarity with the Islamic Republic.
Bendjama explained that “the responsibility lies with the international community to curb the Israeli occupation and stop its escalation that has plunged the region into a spiral of instability.” He recalled respecting international law, emphasizing that “no one is above the law.”
He asserted that the crises in the Middle East are interconnected and must be addressed together, explaining that “their root causes are clear, namely the Israeli occupation of Arab lands.” He concluded that “an immediate ceasefire is necessary to put an end to the violence while achieving lasting peace requires enabling the Palestinians to exercise their legitimate rights and ending the occupation.”