Western "tolerance" on Gaza conflict harms regional stability: Arab League chief

CAIRO, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Arab League (AL) Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit warned on Monday that Western "tolerance" for the ongoing Gaza conflict could severely impact Middle East stability.

Aboul-Gheit made the remarks during a meeting with Tor Wennesland, the United Nations special coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process in Cairo, according to an AL statement.

The officials discussed Gaza and West Bank developments, focusing on the conflict's regional impact and potential escalation on the Lebanon front. They agreed on the need for humanitarian efforts alongside a political process addressing the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.

The meeting also discussed the future diplomatic steps to move the two-state solution from the framework of "rhetoric and intentions to the field of action and implementation."

Aboul-Gheit stressed that political work must continue on all fronts, especially in the United Nations and the UN Security Council.

Israel has been launching a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and about 250 kidnapped.

The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip has risen to 41,226, Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Monday.