RAMALLAH, May 17, 2025 (WAFA) – President Mahmoud Abbas called today on the Arab leaders and presidents participating in the 34th Arab Summit, held in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, to adopt an Arab plan to end the war and achieve peace.
This plan would include a permanent ceasefire, the release of all hostages and prisoners, ensuring the flow of humanitarian aid, and the complete withdrawal of the occupation from the Gaza Strip.
In his address to the summit, President Abbas said that this plan also includes enabling the State of Palestine to assume its civil and security responsibilities in the Gaza Strip, requiring Hamas to relinquish control, along with the surrender of its weapons to the legitimate authority, and the restructuring of the Palestinian security services in Gaza on professional foundations, with Arab and international assistance.
The President also called for an international conference in Cairo to finance and implement the reconstruction plan for the Gaza Strip, a comprehensive truce, an end to unilateral Israeli measures that violate international law, and the launch of a political process that begins and ends within a specific timeframe to implement the two-state solution, establish a Palestinian state on Palestinian soil, and achieve international recognition in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.
He further reiterated his readiness to hold presidential and legislative elections next year, as previously held, as soon as appropriate conditions are in place in Gaza, the West Bank and Jerusalem.
He also affirmed the continuation of the process of reforming state institutions and the PLO, in addition to continuing work to unify the Palestinian ranks on the basis of recognizing the Palestine Liberation Organization as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, and on the basis of its political program, international legitimacy, and the principle of one system, one law and one legitimate weapon.
Following is the full text of President Mahmoud Abbas' speech:
"Your Excellency Dr. Abdul Latif Rashid, President of the Summit,
Your Majesties, Excellencies, and Highnesses,
His Excellency the Secretary-General of the Arab League,
Distinguished Guests,
Peace be upon you,
We gather today amid highly complex regional and international circumstances, where the Palestinian cause is facing existential threats. Our people are suffering from systematic acts of genocide, destruction, and starvation in Gaza, coupled with severe restrictions on UNRWA. At the same time, the West Bank and Jerusalem endure brutal crimes of killing, destruction, displacement, and illegal settlement expansion. This is part of a colonial project aimed at undermining the vision of an independent Palestinian state. Such a situation demands our collective efforts to mobilize further Arab and international support, including from the United States and the United Nations Security Council, to counter this aggression and instead move towards achieving security, stability, and peace.
Mr. President, Esteemed Leaders, and Heads of Delegations,
I present before you our political vision, which we propose for your endorsement, while highly valuing your steadfast support for our people and our just cause.
First: Adoption of an Arab Plan for Ending the War and Achieving Peace:
1. Permanent Ceasefire:
• Immediate and lasting cessation of hostilities.
• Release of all hostages and detainees.
• Unhindered flow of humanitarian aid.
• Complete withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from the Gaza Strip.
2. Restoration of Palestinian Authority Control:
• Enabling the State of Palestine to assume full civil and security responsibilities in Gaza.
• Ensuring that Hamas relinquishes control and hands over all weapons to the legitimate authority.
• Restructuring the Palestinian security forces in Gaza on professional grounds with Arab and international support.
3. International Reconstruction Conference:
• Convening in Cairo to secure funding and implement a comprehensive Gaza reconstruction plan.
• We highly appreciate Egypt’s efforts in this regard.
• This should also include financing for reform programs and socio-economic development in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, in response to Israeli policies of withholding our funds and destroying our infrastructure.
4. Comprehensive Truce:
• Cessation of all Israeli unilateral actions violating international law, including settlement expansion, annexation, demolition, and displacement.
• Respect for the historical and legal status of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem under Hashemite Custodianship.
5. Political Process:
• Launching a political process with a clear timeframe for implementing the two-state solution.
• Establishing the State of Palestine on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, and securing international recognition in accordance with UN resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.
• Convening an international peace conference in June in New York with broad international participation, co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France.
• We highly commend the role of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which chairs the Arab-Islamic Committee. We thank all its members for their efforts in garnering international support for the realization of an independent Palestinian state with its capital in East Jerusalem and for securing global recognition of this state.
Second: Comprehensive Political Reform and National Unity:
• We reaffirm our readiness to hold presidential and legislative elections next year, as we have done in the past, once the necessary conditions are met in Gaza, the West Bank, and Jerusalem.
• We are committed to continuing the process of reforming our state and organizational institutions. In this context, we have taken constitutional steps to establish the position of Vice President and are currently implementing a general amnesty to enhance national unity.
• Our efforts will persist in achieving Palestinian unity, based on recognition of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, in accordance with its political program, international legitimacy, and the principles of one state, one law, and one legitimate weapon.
Your Majesties, Excellencies, and Highnesses,
We call upon this summit to adopt this plan and advocate for it with the relevant international parties, especially following the visit of the U.S. President to the region. We express our gratitude for his efforts to achieve a ceasefire and establish lasting peace.
We further commend the consistent and sincere positions of the Gulf Cooperation Council states, advocating for a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue based on the Arab Peace Initiative and international resolutions.
We also extend our gratitude to our brotherly country Algeria, which effectively represents the Arab seat in the United Nations Security Council and stands firmly in defending our just rights.
Finally, we express our deep appreciation to the brotherly Republic of Iraq — its leadership, government, and people — for their generous hosting of this summit and for their unwavering support for the Palestinian people and their just cause.
We also extend our heartfelt thanks to all the Arab leaders and their peoples for their steadfast and principled support for our people and their legitimate rights.
Peace be upon you."
Y.S/M.N
