Politics

Iraqi PM al-Sudani discusses situation in Gaza with Dutch PM Rutte

“I just spoke to Iraqi Prime Minister al-Sudani about the serious situation in Israel and the Palestinian territories,” said Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte

Wladimir van Wilgenburg 2023/11/13 23:52

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani (Photo: Iraqi PMO)

Iraq Mark Rutte Mohammed Shia al-Sudani Israel-Hamas conflict Gaza

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Monday spoke to Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte by phone about the situation in Gaza and Israel.

I just spoke to Iraqi Prime Minister Al-Sudani about the serious situation in Israel and the Palestinian territories. It remains necessary for more aid to be rapidly made available to the innocent population of Gaza and for the hostages to be released as soon as possible. The…
— Mark Rutte (@MinPres) November 13, 2023

“I just spoke to Iraqi Prime Minister al-Sudani about the serious situation in Israel and the Palestinian territories,” PM Mark Rutte said in a readout of the call.

“It remains necessary for more aid to be rapidly made available to the innocent population of Gaza and for the hostages to be released as soon as possible.”

“The prime minister and I agreed that regional escalation must be prevented, and we spoke about the long-term prospects for peace, with a state for Palestinians alongside a secure Israel. It’s good to stay in close contact with our various partners in the region,” he added.

The Iraqi state news agency INA reported that the Iraqi PM highlighted that "the events in Gaza amount to crimes against humanity, genocide, and a blatant violation of international agreements and laws that began to lose their significance in light of the daily tragedies and mounting victims.”

Al-Sudani emphasized that "the international community and major powers bear a moral and legal responsibility to halt the war. He urged the establishment of humanitarian corridors to provide water, food, and medicine to besieged civilians.”

Moreover, the Iraqi PM said that his country is actively working to “prevent the conflict's escalation and is committed to protecting diplomatic missions and advisors within Iraqi bases."

Al-Sudani’s dialoguecomes as Iranian-backed groups have stepped up attacks on US bases in both Iraq and Syria.

A Pentagon official told Kurdistan 24 on Monday that Coalition forces have been attacked at least 52 times between Oct. 17-Nov. 13, including 24 in Iraq, and 28 in Syria.