Riyadh: The Arab-Islamic summit kicked off on Monday afternoon, November 11, in the Saudi Arabia‘s capital Riyadh to discuss Israel’s ongoing war in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.
The summit, led by King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is attended by various Arab and Islamic leaders and heads of state.
In his opening speech, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman emphasized that Israel’s ongoing crimes against innocent people and violation of Al-Aqsa Mosque will hinder efforts to secure Palestinian people’s legitimate rights.
He condemned Israeli military actions against Lebanon, stating they reject threats to Lebanon’s security and displacement of its citizens, affirming their support for Lebanon and Palestine.
He urged the international community to uphold peace and security, urged Israel to respect Iran’s sovereignty, and condemned the Kingdom’s obstructive actions in assisting UNRWA in Palestinian territories.
The summit is an extension of the joint Arab-Islamic summit held in Riyadh on November 11, 2023, in light of the continued Israeli attacks. It also aims to follow up on the results and recommendations of the previous summit and continue ceasefire efforts.
On Sunday, November 10, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan conducted a ministerial meeting in Riyadh to discuss recent developments and outline the agenda for the summit.
During the meeting, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa proposed a draft resolution to the UN Security Council to compel Israel to cease the genocide in the Gaza.
The summit was announced in October this year by the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs during the first meeting of an “international alliance” pushing for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Israel’s genocide in Gaza began in October 2023 with a Hamas attack, resulting in over 1,100 deaths and 43,600 Palestinian deaths since then, primarily civilians.
Israel has targeted Hezbollah, a Lebanese armed group, resulting in over 3,100 deaths in the country in a year.
