Arab League chief warns Israeli escalation threatens regional stability
Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy condemns Israeli actions in occupied Palestinian territories and southern Lebanon, calling on international community to halt unlawful practices that could widen the conflict.
Arab League chief warns Israeli escalation threatens regional stability
The Secretary-General of the Arab League has issued a strong condemnation of Israeli military and settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories and southern Lebanon, warning that continued escalation could destabilize the entire region.
Nabil Fahmy, who assumed leadership of the 22-member regional organization on July 1, 2026, stated in a declaration issued on August 13 that ongoing raids, arrests, home demolitions, and settler violence in the West Bank and Jerusalem are designed to impose new realities on the ground and obstruct the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
The former Egyptian Foreign Minister, who served in that role from June 2013 to July 2014 and previously represented Egypt as ambassador to the United States from 1999 to 2008, held the Israeli government directly accountable for these actions.
Fahmy specifically highlighted repeated incursions into Al Aqsa Mosque as part of a broader pattern of provocative activities. In late July, over 4,200 Israeli settlers and far-right groups entered the Al Aqsa Mosque compound during the Jewish holiday of Tisha B'Av, with Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir among those participating in one of the largest incursions of the year. That incident prompted eight Arab and Muslim-majority countries, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Turkey, Indonesia, and Pakistan, to issue a joint statement condemning the actions.
The Arab League chief also denounced attacks targeting southern Lebanon, including strikes on civilian buildings and infrastructure. Recent Israeli strikes on August 15 in Ansar and Deir ez-Zahrani killed at least 11 people, including three children, marking one of the deadliest attacks since a ceasefire agreement reached in June 2026.
Escalating violence in the West Bank
The situation in the West Bank has deteriorated significantly in recent months. According to UN documentation, Israeli forces and settlers have killed 76 Palestinians, including 18 children, in the West Bank in 2026 as of mid-August. Approximately 3,800 Palestinians have been displaced due to settler violence, demolitions, and evictions during the same period.
UN observers have recorded more than 1,430 settler attacks resulting in casualties or property damage across roughly 260 Palestinian communities this year, with many incidents occurring in the presence of Israeli forces. The Israeli Defense Forces expanded their deployment in the West Bank to 26 battalions in July, adding two battalions amid the escalation.
Fahmy called on the international community and the United Nations Security Council to take immediate action to halt what he described as Israel's unlawful practices in the occupied territories and neighboring countries. The Arab League, founded in Cairo on March 22, 1945, represents over 480 million people across North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
The Secretary-General emphasized that the continuation of current policies poses serious risks to regional security and stability, urging concrete steps to prevent further expansion of the conflict.
