In the presence of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the extraordinary Arab-Islamic joint summit commenced today in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to discuss strategies for halting the ongoing Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. President Abbas reiterates calls for badly needed international protection for the Palestinian people President Mahmoud Abbas urged today the UN Security Council to assume its responsibilities and immediately put an end to the brutal Israeli aggression on Gaza and the rest of Palestine, reiterating his calls for the provision of badly needed international protection for the Palestinian people. He also called for the immediate delivery of humanitarian and medical aid to Gaza, which has been under an Israeli aerial and ground offensive for over a month, affirming his strong rejection of the displacement Palestinians from their lands in Gaza, the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem. Rejecting military and security solutions that have proven ineffective, President Abbas said Israel was undermining the two-state solution and replacing it with intensified settlement, annexation, ethnic cleansing, and racial discrimination policies in the West Bank and Jerusalem. He condemned the blockade on Gaza and violations of the historical and legal status of Islamic and Christian holy sites. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi issued a full condemnation of Israel’s assault on Palestine, highlighting the tragic bloodshed faced by innocent civilians in the region. Underlining the imperative for unity in the Muslim world, he stressed the collective responsibility to protect the people of Palestine. Additionally, he underscored the significance of Palestine as a symbol of pride for the entire Muslim community. He further said Israel was proving to be the modern-day Pharaoh and was a threat to not just this region but the entire world. “Israel is carrying out the worst genocide of Palestinians; hence, the entire Muslim world should unitedly stand with Palestine,” he suggested. Raisi called the world’s silence over Israel’s atrocities shameful. There was no option, but to denounce Israel. “We applaud Hamas for standing up against Israel,” he insisted. Raisi also demanded that Muslim nations impose oil and other goods’ sanctions on Israel. There was a need for urgent aid for Gaza, he said, calling for ending diplomatic relations with Zionist forces and boycotting them. The Israeli army should be designated a terrorist organisation by all Muslim countries, he demanded. Jordan’s King Abdullah II stated that Jordan will continue its duty of sending humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people through all possible means. He emphasized that the UN General Assembly’s resolution on Gaza is a triumph for humanitarian values and global consensus against war. King Abdullah urged building on this resolution as the first step to work towards forming a political alliance to immediately stop the war, displacement, and commence a genuine peace process in the Middle East. The Jordanian King warned that the region might witness a major clash, impacting the entire world if the horrific war on Gaza does not cease. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi called on the international community to take a serious stand against the massacres in the Gaza Strip, emphasizing that the harsh time experienced by Palestinians is also difficult for nations with living consciences. He insisted that collective punishment policies are unacceptable and cannot be justified in self-defense. El-Sisi urged the international community to bear their responsibilities and work for an immediate, unconditional ceasefire, stopping any plans to displace the people of Gaza, ensuring safe, swift, and sustainable access for humanitarian aid. He Egyptian leader emphasized that the continuation of the war threatens to expand the confrontation in the region, demanding influential international powers to address the root causes of the conflict and give justice to its rightful owners, allowing the region to live in peace. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for a permanent ceasefire, not a temporary one, ensuring the flow of humanitarian and medical aid to save civilian population and the wounded. He stressed the necessity of delivering fuel to all institutions, especially hospitals, saying that Turkey is making efforts to send aid, with ten planes reaching El-Arish airport and a ship carrying over 650 tons of aid en route. Erdogan urged the establishment of a fund under the umbrella of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, stressing that Turkey will exert its utmost efforts in the reconstruction process. Erdogan stated that talking about normalization with Israel without addressing the Palestinian issue, finding a solution that leads to the establishment of the Palestinian state within the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, is impossible. He insisted on holding Israel accountable for committing crimes against humanity through international organizations such as the Human Rights Council and the International Criminal Court, expressing astonishment at the international, especially Western, silence regarding these heinous crimes. Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, expressed the kingdom’s unequivocal rejection of the indiscriminate Israeli war waged against the people of Palestine, resulting in the tragic loss of innocent lives, including children, women, and elderly civilians. Addressing the dire situation, the Crown Prince highlighted Saudi Arabia’s consistent efforts since the beginning of the Israeli aggression to protect civilians in the Gaza Strip. He reiterated the urgent need for humanitarian corridors to aid civilians and enable international humanitarian organizations to carry out their vital work. The Crown Prince underscored the failure of the United Nations Security Council and the international community to curb Israel’s blatant violations of international laws, norms, and humanitarian principles. He emphasized the double standards and selectivity in their application, posing a threat to global security and stability. The Crown Prince urged decisive action to lift the blockade, facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid, secure medical supplies for patients, and vehemently rejected the continued aggression, occupation, and forced displacement of Gaza’s inhabitants. The Crown Prince emphasized that the only path to achieving security, peace, and stability in the region lies in ending the occupation, blockade, and colonization. He called for the realization of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, the establishment of their independent state along the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the Secretary-General of the Arab League, condemned Israel’s killing of more than 11,000 civilians in Gaza, with 70% being children and women, criticizing the international community’s inaction in stopping the relentless bombing. He stressed the imperative for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, prioritizing it over all other considerations. Aboul Gheit pointed out Israel’s desire for a second forced displacement of Palestinians, a notion that he said is entirely rejected and unacceptable. Aboul Gheit insisted that Gaza cannot be separated from the West Bank, saying Israel is destroying the two-state solution endorsed by international legitimacy. Philippe Lazzarini, the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), called for immediate pressure to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. In accordance with international humanitarian law, Lazzarini stressed the need to protect civilians and their properties, including homes, hospitals, and UN organizations. He emphasized that many have the capacity to exert effort in this regard and should not hesitate to do so. Lazzarini underscored the importance of delivering humanitarian aid to the people of the Gaza Strip without restriction or condition, emphasizing the need to increase aid to meet the needs of the people there. He highlighted the role of the UNRWA as the last remaining hope for over two million people, emphasizing the agency’s need for funding to carry out its mission. He called on other countries, Arab universities, and Islamic cooperation organizations to support the agency and defend its schools, refuting the Israeli occupation’s claims of teaching hatred and violence in Gaza.
Arab and Muslim leaders call for immediate end to Gaza war
