Saudi Arabia hosts Arab-Islamic summit to ‘unify efforts’ on Gaza

Al Jazeera :
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.
Delivering the opening remarks, Saudi crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman called for an immediate cessation of military operations in Gaza and the release of all captives and prisoners.
“This is a humanitarian catastrophe that has proved the failure of the international community and the UN Security Council to put an end to Israel’s gross violations of international humanitarian laws, and prove the dual standards adopted by the world,” he said.
“We are certain the only cause for peace is the end of the Israeli occupation and illegal settlements, and restoration of the established rights of the Palestinian people and the establishment of the state on 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital,” the Saudi crown prince added.
The kingdom’s foreign ministry announced the news about the Summit late on Friday, saying Saudi Arabia was initially scheduled to host two summits, one of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and one of the Arab League, on Saturday. The joint summit emerged as a replacement after Saudi consulted with members of both large organisations. According to the ministry, the joint meeting is being 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 OIC includes member states from across the Islamic world, including the Palestinian territories’ neighbours Egypt and Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq.
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the President of Egypt emphasised that the policy of “collective punishment” by killing, siege and forcible transfer are unacceptable.
“This cannot be interpreted as self defence and must be stopped immediately,” he said and called for “an immediate sustainable ceasefire in Gaza.”
With Iran repeatedly warning that the scope of war will expand if Israel does not stop its attacks, President Ebrahim Raisi is also expected to attend the meeting in Riyadh, marking a first visit by an Iranian president in 11 years.
“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.