Khalaf: Iraq holds reservations about the phrase "State of Israel" as it is an occupier-based power

Baghdad - INA

The Permanent Representative of Iraq to the League of Arab States, Qahtaan Taha Khalaf, revealed the details of the decision of the meeting of the Council of the League of Arab States at the level of delegates, which was held at the request of Iraq while indicating that the Zionist entity is an usurping force based on occupation and we do not recognize the phrase "State of Israel."

Iraq's Ambassador to Egypt and Permanent Representative to the Arab League, Qahtaan Taha Khalaf, told the Iraqi News Agency (INA): "The Iraqi government, represented by Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, requested the General Secretariat of the Arab League to hold an emergency session at the delegate level, after the region witnessed a dangerous escalation by the Zionist entity and its repeated attacks and targeting of our brothers in Lebanon," indicating that "the aim of holding these meetings is to stand with our brothers in Lebanon and help them, especially since there are more than 1.2 million internally and externally displaced people in Lebanon.".

He added that "Lebanon needs a lot of assistance to shelter these displaced people and provide relief, humanitarian and medical support at all levels," stressing that "the meeting included full solidarity from all Arab countries and an important decision was issued that meets the demands and needs and stands clearly and explicitly with Lebanon.".

He explained that "the resolution included several points, including holding the international community responsible for stopping the Zionist aggression and its disrespect for international and humanitarian law, as well as urging international and humanitarian organizations and organizations affiliated with the League of Arab States to provide humanitarian and relief assistance to the displaced in Lebanon," noting that "the resolution also included supporting the Lebanese government in its efforts to prevent the expansion of the war and the increase in the number of displaced persons as a result of this war, as well as assigning the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States to carry what came out of the resolution to international organizations and the international community to confront the dangerous escalation carried out by the Zionist entity in the region.".

He explained that "one of the points we raised in the meeting was the occupying entity's attempt to mislead world public opinion and demonize legal and judicial organizations and institutions in international courts and its attempt to pressure them to deviate from their professionalism and institutional work," adding: "We stated in addition to the resolution supporting international organizations and the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, who has repeatedly expressed his displeasure at the entity's commission of massacres, crimes of genocide, and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.".

He pointed out that "Iraq has reservations about mentioning the State of Israel because it is an occupying entity and an occupying force that occupies lands in Palestine and the Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem, and Iraq deals with the entity from this standpoint. We also had the opinion that the aggression against Lebanon should not be isolated from what the usurping Zionist entity is committing in the occupied territories in Gaza and the West Bank," stressing that "the recent events in Lebanon were linked to the previous crimes that occurred in Gaza, and this was referred to in the resolution."