TASHKENT — The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has called for an international conference to comprehensively address the Palestinian issue, with the aim of establishing an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. This proposal came during the GCC's 44th extraordinary meeting held on Monday in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, alongside a joint ministerial meeting with Central Asian countries. Hosted at the Qatari Embassy and chaired by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Bin Jassim Al Thani, prime minister and minister of foreign affairs of Qatar, the meeting was attended by prominent Gulf state foreign ministers. The attendees included Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei from the UAE, Dr. Abdullatif Bin Rashid Al Zayani from Bahrain, Prince Faisal Bin Farhan from Saudi Arabia, Sayyid Badr Bin Hamad Al Busaidi from Oman, Abdullah Ali Abdullah Al Yahya from Kuwait, and Jasem Mohamed Al Budaiwi, the secretary general of the GCC. The ministers discussed urgent coordination mechanisms among the GCC states to address the recent, significant military escalations in the Middle East. They expressed deep concern over the escalating violence's impact on regional security and stability, highlighting the immediate need for de-escalation and diplomacy to resolve the conflicts. The GCC emphasized the role of the United Nations Security Council in upholding international peace, especially given the sensitive nature of the ongoing crisis in the Middle East. The council reiterated its firm stance against Israeli aggression in Gaza, calling for an immediate ceasefire, cessation of military operations, and unimpeded access to humanitarian and relief aid. By proposing an international conference, the GCC aims to foster a dialogue that could lead to a viable solution based on United Nations resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.
