CAIRO, Feb 17 (MENA) - Arab League (AL) Assistant Secretary-General Hossam Zaki has announced that the date of the emergency Arab summit scheduled to be held in Egypt on February 27 may change to another date due to considerations related to schedules of the leaders of participating countries.

In an interview with "Kalima Akhira(Last Word) TV program, broadcast on ONTV, the AL official voiced Egypt's keenness on
the participation of the largest number of leaders in the summit.

The summit aims to forge a unified and strong Arab stand on the Palestinian issue, especially in light of the rejection of the displacement plan that was proposed by the Israeli side and later adopted by the US
administration, Zaki said.

He added that the Egyptian proposal in this regard will be the focus of discussions during the summit; including
reconstruction of Gaza through the Palestinian people themselves, ensuring the provision of job opportunities without the need to displace the population outside the Strip.

The AL official said the primary goal of holding the summit is to support the Palestinian people and strengthen their steadfastness, along with issuing an official document reflecting this stance.

Regarding the five-way Arab summit scheduled to be held in Riyadh before the emergency summit, Zaki explained that the five countries (Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the Emirates and Qatar) have been holding close contacts since the start of the war in Gaza, through periodic meetings at the level of foreign ministers and relevant bodies.

He said that the Arab stand regarding
US President Donald Trump’s plan on
Gaza will be fully crystallized when the official dialogue begins with the US
side, stressing that respecting the will of the Palestinian people and their right to self-determination is fundamental in this regard.

The pan-Arab body's official said the main question is whether the US plan aims to evacuate Gaza of its residents and displace the Palestinians, or whether it is a means to renegotiate future of governance in the Strip.

Zaki said the Palestinians reject options presented by the Israeli occupation, whether imposing its control over Gaza, appointing a body to govern it, or evacuating the Strip of its residents, as the acceptable solution is that the Palestinians to govern themselves until a comprehensive settlement is being
reached.

He pointed out that the Arab stand is based on supporting what the Palestinians themselves accept, with the Arab countries seeking to facilitate the lives of the Palestinians through more communication and internal flexibility.

The AL official lashed out at the
slow pace of humanitarian aid entering Gaza due to unacceptable restrictions imposed by Israel that were inconsistent with legal and moral obligations.

Zaki said Israel is procrastinating in implementing the stages agreed upon in the ceasefire agreement, thus unwilling to move to the second stage of the agreement, which includes additional steps after the prisoner exchange.

Regarding the situation in Syria, the AL official said the Syrian interim president
Ahmed Al-Sharaa's statements regarding the transitional period were positive.

As for the situation in Lebanon, Zaki expressed his optimism, accentuating
the necessity of Israel’s complete withdrawal from Lebanese territory, warning that the continued Israeli occupation would further complicate the situation in the region. (MENA)

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