Baghdad Summit to Reject Palestinian Displacement at Home or Abroad

Arab leaders meeting in Baghdad are expected to adopt decisions backing Syria’s new administration and firmly rejecting the displacement of Palestinians “whether within or outside their lands,” according to a draft document seen by Asharq Al-Awsat.

The unofficial document, which outlines resolutions set to be presented at the 34th Arab League Summit on Saturday, also includes a renewed condemnation of Iran’s construction of residential settlements aimed at resettling Iranians on the three disputed Emirati islands.

The draft includes seven key items, two of which are procedural, addressing the date of the next summit and other business matters. Spanning 93 pages, the document outlines a wide array of pan-Arab issues, placing the Palestinian cause at the forefront.

It reaffirms the “centrality” of the Palestinian issue and calls for intensified international efforts by both states and organisations to compel Israel to end its “illegal occupation” of Palestinian territory based on the June 4, 1967 borders.

It also condemns what it describes as “ongoing acts of aggression and genocide committed by Israel against the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank.”

The draft urges the United Nations Security Council to adopt a resolution under Chapter VII of the UN Charter that would ensure Israel’s compliance with relevant council decisions, enforce an immediate ceasefire, halt acts of genocide, allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, and implement orders issued by the International Court of Justice.

It also calls for preventing any forced displacement of Palestinians from their homeland.

The proposed resolution underscores a “categorical rejection of any form of displacement of the Palestinian people – internally or externally – under any name, pretext, or circumstance.” It describes such actions as tantamount to genocide and a grave violation of international law.

It also urges the International Court of Justice to expedite its ruling on the case brought by South Africa and other supporting nations against Israel, accusing it of failing to meet its obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention.

Further, the draft resolution calls on all states to cooperate with the International Criminal Court in executing arrest warrants issued for Israeli officials accused of committing crimes against Palestinians, actions the draft states fall under the court’s jurisdiction.

The document appeals to the United States to work “seriously and sincerely” with relevant parties to implement a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders, and to pressure Israel to end its occupation and halt unilateral measures that undermine such a solution.

It also urges Washington to reverse its “illegal” relocation of its embassy to occupied Jerusalem, reopen its consulate in East Jerusalem, revoke the designation of the Palestine Liberation Organization – the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people – as a terrorist organisation, and allow the reopening of the PLO’s diplomatic mission in Washington.

The resolution calls on the Arab Ministerial Committee in support of Palestine, chaired by Iraq as host of the summit, to continue its international efforts to help Palestine gain wider recognition and secure full membership at the United Nations, as well as push for the convening of an international peace conference.

Finally, it welcomes the proposal to host an international conference in Cairo as soon as possible to support Gaza’s recovery and reconstruction.

At least 10 people were killed on Sunday after a suicide bomber targeted a queue of young recruits registering at the Damanyo military base in the Somali capital Mogadishu, witnesses told Reuters.

Teenagers were lining up at the base's gate when the attacker detonated their explosives, they said.

A military captain who gave his name as Suleiman described the attack as he had seen it unfold.

"I was on the other side of the road. A speeding tuk-tuk stopped, a man alighted, ran into the queue, and then blew himself up. I saw 10 people dead, including recruits and passers-by. The death toll may rise," he said.

Dozens of abandoned shoes and the remains of the suicide bomber were visible at the scene.

Another witness, Abdisalan Mohamed, said he had seen "hundreds of teenagers at the gate as we passed by in a bus".

"Abruptly, a deafening blast occurred, and the area was covered by dense smoke. We could not see the details of casualties," he said.

Medical staff at the military hospital told Reuters they had received 30 injured people from the blast and that six of them had died immediately.

Government forces quickly cordoned off the entire area.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack and government officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

The attack echoed a similar incident in 2023 when a suicide bomber killed 25 soldiers at the Jale Siyad base, located opposite the Damanyo facility.

Sunday's attack followed the assassination on Saturday of Colonel Abdirahmaan Hujaale, commander of battalion 26, in the Hiiran region, amid local reports of al-Shabaab militant infiltration into government and security forces.

Baghdad Summit to Reject Palestinian Displacement at Home or Abroad