OIC to Meet in Riyadh to Address Israeli Aggression against the Palestinian People

This picture taken from Sderot along the border with the Gaza Strip early on November 6, 2023, shows smoke rising from northern Gaza after Israeli strikes, amid ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement. (AFP)
This picture taken from Sderot along the border with the Gaza Strip early on November 6, 2023, shows smoke rising from northern Gaza after Israeli strikes, amid ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement. (AFP)
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OIC to Meet in Riyadh to Address Israeli Aggression against the Palestinian People

This picture taken from Sderot along the border with the Gaza Strip early on November 6, 2023, shows smoke rising from northern Gaza after Israeli strikes, amid ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement. (AFP)
This picture taken from Sderot along the border with the Gaza Strip early on November 6, 2023, shows smoke rising from northern Gaza after Israeli strikes, amid ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement. (AFP)

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation will hold an extraordinary meeting in Riyadh on Sunday.  

The summit, held at Saudi Arabia’s invitation, will focus on the ongoing Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people. 

Senior sources at the OIC told Asharq Al-Awsat that the invitations have been handed out to all members of the organizations. The majority of leaders are expected to attend given the gravity of the situation in Palestine. 

Riyadh is hosting on Saturday the Arab-African summit and an emergency Arab League summit that will tackle the conflict in Gaza. 

Dr. Saleh al-Khathlan, Senior Advisor at the Gulf Research Center, said the OIC summit was an opportunity for all Islamic countries to take a united position on the Israeli aggression.  

They should declare that Israel must immediately cease its attacks on Gaza, lift the siege, allow the delivery of aid and respect international humanitarian law. 

They should also stress that there can be no alternative to a peaceful settlement to the conflict based on international resolutions, he told Asharq Al-Awsat. 

Saudi Arabia’s invitation is part of a series of steps it has taken, since the eruption of the conflict on October 7, aimed at protecting Palestinians in Gaza and end the war, remarked al-Khathlan. 

Moreover, he noted that the Kingdom was the first country to declare that it had repeatedly warned that the situation in the Palestinian territories was on the verge of imploding in wake of Israeli provocations and occupation. 

Saudi Arabia has since acted given its important position in the region and pivotal role it plays in Arab and Islamic affairs, he stressed. 

He said Saudi Arabia continues to maintain a firm stance towards the Palestinian people until they obtain all their rights, including the establishment of an independent state according to the 1967 borders. 

Furthermore, he noted that Islamic countries have options at their disposal to pressure Israel to cease its hostilities, including recalling ambassadors and suspending economic, trade and military agreements with it. 

He lamented, however, that Israel alone holds the power to end the war. The international community, including heavyweights Russia and China, doesn’t have the means to influence Israel and persuade it to stop its military operations. 



Saudi FM: Kingdom Will Do Everything it Can to Reach a Ceasefire in Gaza

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah speaks to journalists before the start of the International Alliance to Implement the Two-State Solution meeting in Riyadh on October 30, 2024. (AFP)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah speaks to journalists before the start of the International Alliance to Implement the Two-State Solution meeting in Riyadh on October 30, 2024. (AFP)
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Saudi FM: Kingdom Will Do Everything it Can to Reach a Ceasefire in Gaza

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah speaks to journalists before the start of the International Alliance to Implement the Two-State Solution meeting in Riyadh on October 30, 2024. (AFP)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah speaks to journalists before the start of the International Alliance to Implement the Two-State Solution meeting in Riyadh on October 30, 2024. (AFP)

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah stressed on Wednesday that the Kingdom will do everything it can to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon and reach a permanent solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

He also expressed rejection of the genocide perpetrated by Israel in Gaza.

Speaking on the sidelines of the meeting of the International Alliance to Implement the Two-State Solution in Riyadh, he said the establishment of a Palestinian state is the main condition for forming relations with Israel, echoing remarks made by Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

The security of the region is tied to resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Prince Faisal stressed.

Major western and eastern countries have started to discuss the possibility of recognizing a Palestinian state, he added.

He revealed that an Arab Islamic summit will be held to discuss the situation in Gaza and Lebanon.

Wednesday’s meeting in Riyadh is the first in several steps towards the establishment of the Palestinian state. Ninety countries and organizations are taking part in the meeting.

On Gaza, Prince Faisal condemned Israel’s “barbaric actions, total siege and genocide” aimed at driving the Palestinians out of their land.

The Kingdom will do everything it can to mobilize international public opinion to call for a ceasefire in Gaza and reach a permanent solution to the crisis, he added, while expressing support for UNRWA.

The ministerial contact group for the Arab League, Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and European Union and Norway are taking part in the Riyadh meeting, which will be held over two days.

Also attending are diplomats and envoys from several countries and regional and international organizations. The meeting aims to set a timeframe for establishing a Palestinian state and implementing the two-state solution.