Arab leaders call for Gaza ceasefire, pledge to fund post-war reconstruction

At the 34th Arab League summit held Saturday in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, Arab leaders called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and pledged financial support for the enclave’s post-war reconstruction. They urged the international community to pressure Israel to halt its military operations before Hamas is fully defeated, while overlooking the fact that the conflict was triggered by Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

Despite turmoil and financial distress at home, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani pledged to contribute $40 million to the reconstruction of Gaza and Lebanon.

“Iraq pledges a contribution of $20 million for the reconstruction of Gaza and another $20 million for the reconstruction of brotherly Lebanon,” Sudani announced at the Arab League summit. “We have called – and continue to call – for serious and responsible Arab action to save Gaza and reactivate UNRWA’s role in both Gaza and the West Bank,” he added, referring to the UN aid agency.

The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees was banned by Israel over its close ties to the Hamas terrorist organization and its involvement in the Oct. 7 attack.

The Iraqi leader also accused that Israel is committing “genocide” in Gaza.

“This genocide has reached levels of ugliness not seen in all conflicts throughout history,” Sudani stated.

The Hamas-led Gaza Health Ministry has reported that some 50,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the Oct. 7 attack. However, Hamas does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its casualty reports, while Israeli authorities estimate that roughly half of those killed in Gaza are terrorists. In contrast, an estimated 200,000 civilians were reportedly killed during the war in Iraq.

Palestinian Authority (PA) leader Mahmoud Abbas, a political rival of Hamas, urged the terror group to give up control of Gaza and surrender its weapons. In 2007, Hamas violently ousted its rival, the Fatah party, that controls the PA and has refused to hold new elections in the territory.

The Arab leaders also rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal for the United States to administer post-war Gaza and redevelop it into a coastal resort.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi called on Trump to “apply all necessary efforts” to secure a truce, a veiled call for increased pressure on Israel to halt its military offensive against Hamas in Gaza. The Egyptian leader also stated that Cairo, Qatar and Washington were jointly “exerting intense efforts to reach a ceasefire” in Gaza.

El-Sisi, who has become increasingly hostile toward the Jewish state, characterized Israel’s self-defense against Hamas aggression as “systematic crimes,” accusing it of seeking to “obliterate and annihilate” the Gazan population and of “ending their existence in the Gaza Strip.”

The Egyptian leader did not address Hamas’ attacks on Israeli civilians or its use of Gazan civilians as human shields – actions widely criticized by international observers as violations of international law. International military experts have commended the Israeli military for its efforts to limit civilian harm during urban combat operations.

El-Sisi said Egypt would host an international conference for Gaza’s reconstruction “once the aggression stops.”

In February, Egypt vocally opposed Trump’s Gaza plan, aimed at relocating a large potion of Gaza’s population during the reconstruction in neighboring Arab countries, including Egypt. Trump reportedly responded by threatening to cut Washington’s financial aid to Egypt for its refusal to host the same Gazan civilians despite its public expressions of concern for their welfare.

At the summit, UN Chief António Guterres stated, “We reject the repeated displacement of the Gaza population, along with any question of forced displacement outside of Gaza.” However, his remarks, contrasted with on-the-ground reports indicating growing instability and humanitarian concerns within the enclave.

A poll conducted in late April indicated that over 50% of Gaza’s population would choose to emigrate if given the opportunity. However, most Arab countries have refuse to accept Gazan civilians, maintaining that they should remain in Gaza despite the increasingly difficult living conditions.