"The League’s political efforts, as well as the Arab countries’ diplomatic contacts, forced Israel to withdraw its candidacy for the non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council in 2019-2020, by refusing to participate in the election which will take place in June at a UN General Assembly session," Secretary General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul-Gheit said.
He also added that the League would continue to oppose Israel until the latter "stops its occupation of the Palestinian territory and starts adhering to all of the relevant UN Security Council and General Assembly resolutions."
Earlier Israel announced that it wouldn’t be taking part in the upcoming election of the UN Security Council’s non-permanent members scheduled to take place on June 8.
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The Palestinian Foreign Ministry has described this development as "a victory for humanitarian principles and values that are based on international law and the Charter of the United Nations," adding that this withdrawal "unequivocally confirms that Israel is not qualified to compete for membership of the Security Council, which seeks to achieve world peace and security."
Since March 30, Palestinians have been holding mass rallies near the Gaza Strip border, known as the Great March of Return. The demonstrators claim that the people displaced during the war after Israel's creation in 1948 have the right to return home.
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Dozens of protesters have been killed, and over 1,000 others have been injured as Israeli forces suppress the demonstrations with the use of force. The protesters intend to go on with the march until May 15, when they will commemorate the 70th anniversary of the displacement.