Arab FMs to convene Thursday in Saudi Arabia

By Mohamed al-Rayes

CAIRO (AA) - Arab foreign ministers will convene in Saudi Arabia on Thursday to discuss regional developments, especially recent escalations by Israel, according to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.

“The most pressing [item on the agenda] is the current situation in Palestine, particularly the recent [Israeli] escalations against civilians,” the ministry said in a Wednesday statement.

Since March 30, when peaceful Palestinian rallies began along the Gaza-Israel border, at least 31 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli army gunfire, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

The situations in Syria, Libya, Yemen and Iraq are also expected to come up for discussion at Thursday’s foreign ministers’ meeting.

According to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, UN Special Envoy Staffan De Mistura will brief meeting attendees on UN efforts to resolve the crisis in Syria and the latest political and humanitarian developments in that country.

Assembled foreign ministers will also discuss preparations for the 29th Arab League summit, which will convene on Sunday in Saudi capital Riyadh.