Riyadh is set to host a summit with leaders from Iran, Turkey, Syria and other countries to discuss the Israel-Gaza war. The summit, scheduled for Saturday, has been organized by Saudi Arabia in response to the worsening situation in Gaza. Originally planned as two separate summits for the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab League, the decision to merge them was made after consulting with members of both organizations.
The joint meeting is a response to the exceptional circumstances in Gaza, with the goal of unifying efforts and creating a unified collective position. The OIC includes member states from across the Islamic world, including the neighbouring countries of Egypt and Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq.
Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi is expected to attend the meeting, marking the first visit by an Iranian president in 11 years. Raisi has emphasized that the Palestinian issue has become a global concern and that the atrocities being committed by Israel in Gaza are war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Calls for an immediate ceasefire in the face of Israel’s relentless attacks on Gaza have come from the Arab and Islamic worlds. Israel’s non-stop air strikes and ground assaults have resulted in the deaths of thousands of Palestinians, with a significant increase in attacks on hospitals.
The Arab League, which includes 22 countries, aims to demonstrate how the Arab world will take action on the international stage to stop the aggression, support Palestine, and hold Israel accountable for its crimes.
The joint summit in Riyadh comes amid a flurry of diplomatic activities, with leaders from Russia, Iran, Turkey and Pakistan convening in Kazakhstan to discuss the situation in Gaza. Saudi Arabia also recently hosted an African-Saudi summit, where efforts to end the war were emphasized by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.