Saudi Arabia announced on Tuesday the postponement of the fifth Arab-African summit due to the developments in Gaza. The summit was scheduled to be held in Riyadh on Saturday
Emergency Arab and Islamic summits are being held in Riyadh on Saturday and Sunday respectively to tackle the conflict.
In a statement, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said it had coordinated with the Arab League and African Union to postpone the summit.
It hoped that the political developments in the region would not impact the Arab-African partnership.
Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit described the situation Gaza as “catastrophic”, condemning the violation of all Palestinian rights by Israeli forces.
Aboul Gheit met with UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Turk in Cairo on Tuesday. He said trust has been lost in international humanitarian law “given the daily massacres committed by the occupation forces”.
“The western world needs to realize the severity of the situation,” he added, warning of its consequences on the future of the Middle East and beyond.
