Special Arab-Islamic summit in Riyadh on the situation in Gaza
Heads of state from Arab and other Islamic countries discussed the Gaza war at an extraordinary summit in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Saturday. "We demand an immediate ceasefire," said Saudi Crown Prince and de facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman at the start of the special summit. Israel must cease its military operations immediately.
Humanitarian corridors to Gaza must be secured. The only solution to achieve stability in the region is to end the occupation, settlement and siege, said the Crown Prince with regard to Israel's actions. At the same time, he called for the release of all hostages and innocent people.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said at the start: "Our Palestinian people are being subjected to the most terrible and brutal aggression and even an unprecedented war of annihilation." Gaza is an integral part of Palestine. Any political solution must encompass the entire Palestinian territory, including the West Bank, Jerusalem and Gaza.
Iran's President Ibrahim Raisi is also attending the summit. It is Raisi's first visit to the Kingdom since the resumption of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Syria's ruler Bashar al-Assad has also arrived in Riyadh for the summit. It is one of his first appearances at an international meeting since the outbreak of the civil war in his country. After around a decade of isolation, Assad only attended an Arab League summit again in March.
Originally, a meeting of the 22 member states of the Arab League was planned for Saturday and one of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Sunday. Following consultations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the OIC, it was decided to hold a special joint summit instead. The OIC comprises 57 Muslim states.
The Middle East region continues to be plagued by conflicts, with the situation in Gaza serving as a current focal point. At the special Arab-Islamic summit in Riyadh, leaders emphasized the need for an end to Israel's military operations and occupied territories to promote stability and peace.
Source: www.dpa.com
