RIYADH: Arab and Muslim leaders at a Saudi-hosted summit on Monday strongly condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza and Lebanon, while seeking an immediate end to military operations in the region.
The Extraordinary Arab and Islamic Summit came in response to the ongoing atrocities and genocide committed by the Israeli occupation in Palestine and Lebanon.
Israel’s war on Gaza now in its 402nd day has killed at least 43,603 Palestinians and injured over 102,929, said besieged territory’s health ministry. In Lebanon, Israel has killed over 3,189 people since October 2023.
While opening the summit, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud called for an immediate halt to the Israeli aggression on Palestinian territories and Lebanon.
“We strongly condemn the Israeli military operations targeting Lebanese territories and reject any threats to Lebanon’s security and stability, violations of its territorial integrity, and the displacement of its citizens,” the Crown Prince said.
“We urge the international community to uphold international peace and security by immediately halting the Israeli attacks on the Palestinian and Lebanese peoples, and ensuring that Israel respects the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran and ceases all hostile actions on Iranian territories,” the Saudi Crown Prince said as quoted by the SPA.
Al Jazeera reported that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in his address said that Israel must implement United Nations Security Council Resolution 2735, which requires an end to its aggression on Gaza.
He said Israel must allow aid into the Gaza Strip and withdraw its forces in order for the State of Palestine to regain its sovereignty over Gaza. He demanded Israel to allow the return of Palestinians to their homes and the reconstruction of what was destroyed in Gaza.
“Israel must end its plan to separate Gaza from the West Bank and Jerusalem, its war crimes and the terrorism of Israeli settlers,” he said.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan while addressing the gathering warned that Israel aims to destroy the existence of Palestinians and ultimately annex all Palestinian territories with its brutal attacks, Daily Sabah reported.
“Israel’s relentless offensive on the Gaza Strip and increasing crackdown on Palestinians in occupied West Bank are proof this is where the situation is headed,” he said.
Erdoğan, said the Israeli parliament banning the U.N. aid agency for Palestinians, UNRWA, is meant to eliminate a two-state solution and stop the return of Palestinian refugees to their homeland.
“We must maintain our coordinated efforts to pressuring measures against those committing genocide in Palestine,” Erdoğan said. “Muslim states must spearhead steps that can be taken to stop Israel,” he added.
Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif on the occasion also called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza, an arms embargo on Israel and the lifting of the blockade against Gaza, ensuring prompt delivery of food, water, electricity and medical aid, Radio Pakistan reported.
He stressed the need to pursue the adoption of UNGA’s emergency special session resolution 10/24 that follows up a historic advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice.
Shehbaz Sharif said these atrocities committed against the Palestinians have rightfully been labelled as genocide, not only by the media but also by the International Court of Justice.
He said Pakistan equally denounces Israel’s ongoing military aggression against Lebanon and stands in complete solidarity with its innocent people. He warned that such escalations constitute a dangerous threat that could unleash a broader war.
The Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Hissein Brahim Taha, highlighted the targeting of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the Palestinian refugee issue, as well as Israel’s attempts to displace the Palestinian people and escalate the region into an all-out war, which constitutes a blatant violation of international law and relevant United Nations resolutions.
He emphasised the urgent need to implement Security Council Resolution 2735, which calls for a ceasefire and adequate and sustainable humanitarian aid to all areas of the Gaza Strip. He also called for the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces and the empowerment of the Palestinian government to fulfil its responsibilities in Gaza, the SPA reported.
Additionally, he urged an immediate and complete cessation of hostilities in Lebanon through the full implementation of Security Council resolutions.
The Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, said that the current Israeli strategy aims to eradicate the Palestinian community in Gaza, either through coercive or voluntary displacement, thereby dismantling an entire society along with its institutions and social fabric, ultimately extinguishing the prospect of future restoration and undermining Palestinian aspirations for an independent state.
He articulated that Israel’s actions are undermining the prospects for coexistence in the region and obstructing the potential for peace, reported the SPA.
He affirmed that the bombing in Lebanon persists, resulting in the loss of innocent lives and the devastation of both private and public property.
According to the SPA, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi of the Arab Republic of Egypt stated that the future of the region and the world stands at a crossroads, as the unacceptable aggression against Palestinian and Lebanese territories is testing the entire international system.
El-Sisi firmly condemned the systematic killing campaign against civilians in the Gaza Strip. He expressed Egypt’s strong opposition to any plans aimed at undermining the Palestinian cause.
The Egyptian President also noted Egypt’s commitment to assisting its brothers in Lebanon by supporting the resilience of Lebanese state institutions. He called for an end to the aggression and destruction faced by the Lebanese people.
King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein of Jordan stressed that establishing a genuine political horizon to resolve the Palestinian cause based on the two-state solution is the only path to achieving peace, stability, and security in the region, the SPA reported.
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“The international community has not stopped Israel, which emboldened its escalation against the Palestinian people in the West Bank, and ignited a war on Lebanon. These wars must stop immediately to protect innocent lives, end the destruction, and prevent the region from being pushed toward an all-out conflict that everyone will pay for,” he added.
Caretaker Prime Minister of Lebanon, Najib Mikati in his address called upon the countries to continue sending aid amid an unprecedented crisis. He said the Israeli aggression has led to severe human losses, in addition to economic repercussions, further exacerbating the tragedy, and the World Bank has estimated the losses at $8.5bn.
He stressed global support for Lebanon and not any factions. “I also call for respecting Lebanon’s sovereignty and refraining from interfering in its internal affairs while supporting Lebanon as a state and entity,” Mikati said as quoted by Al Jazeera.
He said a fund was being created to assist Lebanon’s displaced, which will be overseen by the UN.
President Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan expressed deep concern over the severe humanitarian crisis resulting from recent military operations in Gaza and Lebanon, describing the situation as unprecedented for the region.
He condemned the Israeli Knesset’s decision to ban the activities of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), calling it a clear violation of international law, the SPA reported.
Sudanese Transitional Sovereign Council President Abdel Fattah Al Burhan in his speech called on the international community to expedite the implementation of the two-state solution, secure a ceasefire, prevent regional conflict escalation, halt the displacement of Gazans, and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to displaced persons, the SPA reported.
