CAIRO: The Arab League will convene an extraordinary meeting on Monday to address the situation arising from Israel’s threat to Iraq.
The meeting, chaired by Yemen, comes in response to a request from Iraq. Arab League Assistant Secretary-General Ambassador Hossam Zaki said on Saturday that the meeting will focus on a memo from the UN Security Council president, which contains Israel’s claims of increased attacks from Iraqi territory since September.
“The General Secretariat of the Arab League received Iraq’s request to hold an extraordinary session of the Arab League Council. The request was circulated among member states for consultation, and it was agreed to hold the meeting tomorrow at the General Secretariat,” Zaki said.
He added that several Arab countries have expressed support for Iraq’s initiative.
Earlier, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani had warned that a letter sent by Israel to the president of the UN Security Council could serve as a pretext for attacking his country.
“The message sent by Israel to the UN Security Council represents a pretext for aggression against Iraq and aligns with its ongoing efforts to expand the war in the region,” al-Sudani said in a statement.
He emphasised Iraq’s rejection of such threats.
“Decisions of war and peace are solely within the authority of the Iraqi state, and no party is allowed to infringe upon this right,” he said.
He reaffirmed his country’s position of staying out of conflicts while seeking an end to the Gaza and Lebanon wars.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar on X said that he sent the letter, which “called for immediate action regarding the activity of militias in Iraq, whose territory is being used to attack Israel,” warning that Israel has the right to defend itself under the UN Charter.
He called on the Security Council “to act urgently to make sure that the Iraqi government meets its obligations under international law and to make these attacks on Israel stop.”
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, Israel’s war in Gaza has killed at least 44,176 Palestinians and injured 104,473 others. In Lebanon, Israel has killed more than 3,640 people since October 2023.
