Arab, Islamic Action Intensifies to Implement Riyadh Summit Resolutions on Gaza

The leaders of Arab and Islamic countries during the Riyadh summit last week. (Egyptian Presidency)
The leaders of Arab and Islamic countries during the Riyadh summit last week. (Egyptian Presidency)
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Arab, Islamic Action Intensifies to Implement Riyadh Summit Resolutions on Gaza

The leaders of Arab and Islamic countries during the Riyadh summit last week. (Egyptian Presidency)
The leaders of Arab and Islamic countries during the Riyadh summit last week. (Egyptian Presidency)

The Arab League and Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) have been intensifying their efforts to implement the resolutions reached at their extraordinary Riyadh summit on Gaza last Saturday.

A ministerial Arab-Islamic committee is gearing up for meetings with the member states of the UN Security Council, urging for an immediate ceasefire.

The initiative is being led by Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab League Ambassador Hossam Zaki.

Zaki told Asharq Al-Awsat on Friday that “organizing meetings for the ministerial committee with the permanent members of the Security Council takes time due to the commitments and schedules of foreign officials, which somewhat hinders the implementation.”

“However, the ministerial committee, under the leadership of the Saudi presidency, is exerting every effort to secure the necessary appointments,” said Zaki, anticipating that “these meetings will take place soon.”

Meanwhile, the Palestinian delegate to the Arab League, Ambassador Muhannad Al-Aklouk, confirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat that “preparations are underway for the Arab-Islamic ministerial committee to hold meetings in influential capitals around the world with the aim of halting the Israeli aggression on Gaza.”

Moreover, an Arab diplomatic source informed Asharq Al-Awsat that “there are executive steps for the implementation of the Riyadh summit resolutions that will be announced soon, once the specific arrangements are finalized.”

The source, who requested anonymity, refused to disclose the “nature of these steps,” stating only that “they will be announced gradually.”

The resolution issued by the Arab-Islamic summit held in Riyadh tasked the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Qatar, Türkiye, Indonesia, Nigeria, Palestine, and the Secretary-Generals of the Arab League and the OIC, to initiate immediate international action on behalf of all member states to formulate international steps to stop the war on Gaza.



Syria Reaches Deal to Integrate SDF within State Institutions, Presidency Says

A handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) shows Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) shaking the hand of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander-in-chief Mazloum Abdi after the signing of an agreement, to integrate the SDF into the state institutions, in the Syrian capital Damascus on March 10, 2025. (SANA / AFP)
A handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) shows Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) shaking the hand of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander-in-chief Mazloum Abdi after the signing of an agreement, to integrate the SDF into the state institutions, in the Syrian capital Damascus on March 10, 2025. (SANA / AFP)
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Syria Reaches Deal to Integrate SDF within State Institutions, Presidency Says

A handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) shows Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) shaking the hand of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander-in-chief Mazloum Abdi after the signing of an agreement, to integrate the SDF into the state institutions, in the Syrian capital Damascus on March 10, 2025. (SANA / AFP)
A handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) shows Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) shaking the hand of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander-in-chief Mazloum Abdi after the signing of an agreement, to integrate the SDF into the state institutions, in the Syrian capital Damascus on March 10, 2025. (SANA / AFP)

The Kurdish-led and US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which controls much of Syria's oil-rich northeast, has signed a deal agreeing to integrate into Syria's new state institutions, the Syrian presidency said on Monday.

The deal, which included a complete cessation of hostilities, was signed by interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and the SDF's commander, Mazloum Abdi.

Under the deal, whose text was posted online by the presidency, all civilian and military institutions in northeast Syria will be integrated within the state, which will thus take over control of borders, airports and oil and gas fields.

The SDF agrees to support the government in combating remnants of deposed president Bashar al-Assad's regime, and any threats to Syria's security and unity.

Since Assad was overthrown by Sharaa's Islamist forces in December, groups backed by Türkiye, one of Sharaa's main supporters, have clashed with the SDF, the main ally in a US coalition against ISIS militants in Syria.

The SDF is spearheaded by the YPG militia, a group that Ankara sees as an extension of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants who have fought the Turkish state for 40 years.

Türkiye regards the PKK, YPG and SDF as terrorist groups, and Sharaa's new Damascus administration had been pressing the SDF to merge into newly-minted state security forces.

Abdi had previously expressed a willingness for his forces to be part of the new defense ministry, but said they should join as a bloc rather than individuals, an idea that was rejected by the new government.

The US and Türkiye’s Western allies list the PKK as a terrorist group, but not the YPG or the SDF.