Delegation of Arab top diplomats meets with Russia's Lavrov, discusses war on Gaza

AMMAN — Top diplomats from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Palestine and Indonesia met on Tuesday with their Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov over efforts to impose an effective and immediate ceasefire in Gaza and ensure the delivery of relief aid into the strip. 

The meeting with Lavrov was the second in a series of similar meetings the delegation is schedulled to hold with foreign policy officials from the Security Council permanent members.  

The ministerial committee, which visited China on Monday will also visit the US, the UK and France, was mandated by the Joint Arab Islamic Extraordinary Summit in Riyadh on November 11 and is headed by Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal Bin Farhan bin Abdullah.

The delegation comprises Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Ayman Safadi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt Sameh Shoukry, Palestinian Minister of Foreign Affairs Riyad Al Maliki, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia Retno Marsudi and Secretary-General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Hussein Ibrahim Taha.

Lavrov commended the efforts of the committee towards pushing for a ceasefire in Gaza, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.

Russia's top diplomat voiced Moscow's support to all efforts seeking an "immediate" ceasefire in Gaza according to the relevant UN resolutions, the peace summit in Cairo and the extraordinary Arab-Islamic joint summit in Riyadh.

Lavrov condemned the "collective punishment" of civilians in the Gaza Strip which "constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law", the statement said. 

He also called for the delivery of "sufficient" humanitarian assistance to Gaza to avoid an "unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe in the besieged strip".

Lavrov reiterated his country's position which advocates a peaceful solution to the long-running conflict based on the two-state formula, the 2022 Arab Peace Initiative and the relevant international resolutions. 

Members of the committee called on the UN Security Council and the international community to "embark on effective and immediate effort to impose a ceasefire in Gaza" and lift the siege Israeli is imposing on the war-torn strip, according to the statement. 

They also called for releasing "prisoners and hostages" and re-launching serious peace negotiations. 

Rejecting what they described as "selectivity" and prejudice when it comes to applying international law and moral standards, members of the delegation called on the international community to hold Israel accountable for its "heinous crimes against unarmed civilians".

They also warned of the international community losing its legitimacy and credibility due to its failure to curb Israel's violations and disregard of the international law and UN resolutions.