Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, at the opening of a summit of Arab and Muslim leaders in Riyadh, on November 11, made a strong appeal for an immediate halt to Israeli military actions in Gaza and Lebanon, echoing the collective outcry of Arab and Muslim leaders.
The summit, which convened members of both the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), provided a unified platform for leaders to condemn what MBS described as a “massacre committed against Palestinian and Lebanese people.”
The Crown Prince urged Israel “to refrain from any further act of aggression” and appealed to global leaders to recognize Palestinian statehood, emphasizing the urgency of a just solution for the Palestinian people. He spoke out against the violence unfolding across the region, characterizing it as a humanitarian crisis that demands immediate attention from the international community.
Supporting the Crown Prince’s statements, Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit expressed his deep concern over the toll Israel’s military actions have taken on Palestinian civilians.
“Words cannot express the plight of the Palestinian people,” Aboul Gheit stated, underscoring that the ongoing violence in Gaza and Lebanon is undermining peace efforts.
“It is only with justice that we will be able to establish lasting peace,” he added, stressing that “the world cannot turn a blind eye” to what he called an escalating pattern of violence.
Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati highlighted his country’s own precarious position amid the hostilities, asserting that Lebanon faces an “unprecedented historical and existential crisis.”
He pointed out that Israel’s ongoing military operations against Hezbollah threaten Lebanon’s stability and future.
“Lebanon is going through an unprecedented historical and existential crisis that threatens its present and future,” Mikati said, signaling a dire warning about the implications of the conflict on his nation’s stability.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, during his address, reaffirmed Pakistan’s “unwavering support” for the Palestinian people, underscoring the country’s solidarity with their cause.
“The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached a level beyond imagination,” he said. “For over one year, the occupied Palestinian territories, especially Gaza, have fallen in endless darkness and despair with devastated homes, lives lost and families torn apart.
In Iran’s absence from the summit, Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref condemned Israel’s targeted killings of Palestinian and regional leaders, denouncing these actions as “organized terrorism.” He criticized what he described as Israel’s “lawlessness” and “organized terrorism,” adding that Israel’s operations against leaders in Gaza and Lebanon serve only to destabilize the region.
The summit’s closing statement offered a stern rebuke of Israel’s actions, calling them part of a “crime of genocide” in northern Gaza. The document specifically mentioned reports of torture, executions, disappearances, and ethnic cleansing in the region.
The leaders also condemned Israeli actions in occupied East Jerusalem, reiterating that the city is the “eternal capital” of Palestine and reaffirming calls to unite the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem under a future Palestinian state.
The Riyadh summit follows a similar gathering held last year in Saudi Arabia, where leaders condemned Israeli military operations in Gaza as “barbaric.” Despite strong rhetoric and widespread condemnation, leaders at that meeting were unable to reach a consensus on taking economic or diplomatic action against Israel.