Emergency Arab-Islamic Summit: Leaders condemn aggression on Gaza

MENA

Published: 2023-11-11 14:15

Last Updated: 2024-04-28 13:26


Emergency Arab-Islamic Summit: Leaders condemn aggression on Gaza
Emergency Arab-Islamic Summit: Leaders condemn aggression on Gaza

The urgent Arab-Islamic summit, attended by His Majesty King Abdullah II and leaders from Arab nations, as well as the Iranian President, commenced Saturday in Riyadh.

His Majesty King Abdullah warned that the region will spiral into a major conflict whose price innocent people from both sides will pay, and whose repercussions will affect the whole world if the ugly war on Gaza does not stop.

The King said Jordan will continue to undertake its duty in dispatching humanitarian aid to the Palestinians through any means available.

His Majesty called for building on the United Nations General Assembly’s decision on Gaza, which was the result of joint Arab action, to be the first step to work collectively to build a political alliance to first stop the war and the displacement immediately, and to launch a serious peace process in the Middle East, without allowing its hindrance under any circumstances.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman strongly denounced the aggression against the Palestinian people in Gaza, characterizing it as an unjust war.

"The Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip are facing an unjust war," said Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, urging an immediate cessation of the Israeli Occupation's aggression on Gaza and the establishment of humanitarian corridors.

In an additional statement, the Crown Prince emphasized, "The ongoing war in Gaza is a failure of the National Council."

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini expressed the sentiments of Gazans, feeling abandoned by the world.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas accused the Israeli Occupation Forces of initiating an "unprecedented genocidal war," resulting in the death and injury of over 40,000 people, primarily children and women.

Abbas stressed that the "free world will not accept double standards," holding the Israeli Occupation authorities and their supporters responsible for the unjust war's toll on innocent lives.

The United States, with its steadfast support for the Israeli Occupation, bears responsibility for the failure to reach a political solution, according to Abbas.

During the summit, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi rejected any forced external displacement of Gaza residents and warned of potential regional expansion of the conflict. Sisi called for a comprehensive solution based on the two-state solution and the establishment of a sovereign, internationally recognized Palestinian state.

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of Qatar, criticized the international community for inaction against the Israeli Occupation Forces' aggression on Gaza. He condemned the bombing of hospitals and called for an immediate ceasefire to address the catastrophic humanitarian conditions.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed that words are insufficient to describe the situation in Gaza. Erdogan condemned the Israeli Occupation's targeting of hospitals, places of worship, and schools as a brutal violation. He emphasized the impact of Gaza events on the region's future and criticized the silence of those who do not speak against injustice.

Iran's President, Ebrahim Raisi, was the first Iranian president since Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to attend an OIC summit since 2012. Raisi's visit came after a recent mending of ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran which took place earlier in March this year.

Raisi underscored the importance and sacredness of 'armed resistance' against the Israeli occupation and restated that the establishment of a Sovereign Palestinian State from "the river to the sea" was the "only solution" for this conflict.

Raisi denounced the United States' "biased" role in the ongoing war and their support of the Israeli Occupation over the thousands of Palestinian lives.

For his part, Syrian President, Bashar Al-Assad, stated that the Palestinian situation has become more unjust and oppressive due to the alleged peace process with the Israeli Occupation.

Assad emphasized the importance of collective action to stop the crimes committed by the Israeli Occupation against the Palestinian people.

Assad criticized the increasing aggressiveness against the Palestinian people, citing the reason as the "alleged peace process with the occupier."