Saudi Arabia to host Arab-Islamic summit to ‘unify efforts’ on Gaza
Saudi Arabia is hosting an extraordinary summit on Saturday, bringing together countries from the Islamic and Arab worlds to discuss the worsening situation in Gaza.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab League had originally planned for Saudi Arabia to host two summits on Saturday, the kingdom’s foreign ministry said late on Friday. After Saudi Arabia conferred with representatives of both major organizations, the joint summit was chosen as a substitute.
According to the ministry, the joint meeting “will be held in response to the exceptional circumstances taking place in the Palestinian Gaza Strip as countries feel the need to unify efforts and come out with a unified collective position”.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has member states from the Islamic world, including Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, and Iraq, the neighbors of the Palestinian territories.
President Ebrahim Raisi is also anticipated to attend the conference in Riyadh, which will be the first visit by an Iranian president in eleven years. Iran has warned repeatedly that if Israel does not cease its strikes, the scope of war will widen.
“Gaza is not an arena for words. It should be for action,” Raisi said before departing for Riyadh on Saturday, adding that the Palestinian issue has become the main issue not only for the Muslim world but the whole world.
“The atrocities that are now being committed by the Zionist regime in Gaza are clear examples of war crimes and crimes against humanity,” he said.
“The Americans say in their remarks and messages that they do not want the scope of the war to expand, but this claim in no way corresponds to their actions as the fuel for the Israeli war machine is provided by the Americans.”
