Arab, Islamic Condemnation of Israeli Massacre in Nuseirat Camp in Gaza

 Palestinians inspect a house hit in an Israeli strike, due to an Israeli military operation, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, June 8, 2024. (Reuters)
Palestinians inspect a house hit in an Israeli strike, due to an Israeli military operation, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, June 8, 2024. (Reuters)
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Arab, Islamic Condemnation of Israeli Massacre in Nuseirat Camp in Gaza

 Palestinians inspect a house hit in an Israeli strike, due to an Israeli military operation, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, June 8, 2024. (Reuters)
Palestinians inspect a house hit in an Israeli strike, due to an Israeli military operation, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, June 8, 2024. (Reuters)

Gulf, Arab and Islamic countries strongly condemned on Sunday the horrific massacre committed by the Israeli army in the Nuseirat camp in Gaza on Saturday that left hundreds of Palestinians dead, mostly women and children.

At least 274 Palestinians were killed and hundreds more were wounded in the Israeli raid that rescued four hostages held by Hamas, Gaza's Health Ministry said Sunday.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation slammed the attack, saying it was an example of organized state terrorism and genocide.

In a statement, it condemned it as a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and relevant United Nations resolutions.

Such crimes demand an investigation, accountability and punishment in line with international criminal law, it stressed, calling on the International Criminal Court to assume its responsibilities in this regard.

The OIC reiterated its call on the international community, especially the UN Security Council, to intervene immediately to stop the war crimes committed by the Israeli forces in Gaza and to protect the Palestinian people.

The Gulf Cooperation Council also condemned the Nuseirat attack, with its Secretary General Jassem Mohamed Albudaiwi describing it as a “terrorist crime that targeted unarmed civilians with unprecedented barbarism.”

“This barbaric attack reflects the true face of the Israeli occupation forces and demonstrates their complete disregard for all international treaties and humanitarian values,” he stated.

He called on the international community to assume its “historic and moral responsibilities to act immediately and firmly to put a stop to these repeated horrific crimes against the brotherly Palestinian people.”

The countries of the GCC stand strongly united behind the Palestinian people in their struggle for freedom and peace, he stressed.

He renewed the GCC’s call for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state according to the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital and in line with the 2002 Arab peace initiative and international resolutions.

The Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the Israeli massacre in Nuseirat, calling on the international community and UN Security Council to assume their responsibilities in ending Israel’s “barbaric aggression against the brotherly Palestinian people.”

Oman also slammed the attack, saying Israel’s “systematic war crimes against the Palestinian people are blatant and flagrant violations of international laws and international humanitarian law.”

It called on the international community to intervene to put an immediate end to these crimes.

Egypt strongly condemned the Israeli attack on Nuseirat, saying it is a flagrant violation of all international laws and all human values and rights.

It held Israel legally and morally responsible for the attack, demanding that it assume its responsibilities as an occupying force. It must cease its arbitrary attacks against Palestinian civilians, including in areas where they have sought refuge.

It urged influential international parties and the UN Security Council to intervene immediately to stop Israel’s war on Gaza and to act to end the humanitarian crisis that has claimed the lives of over 36,000 people.



Saudi Foreign Minister Meets with British, French Counterparts

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan (Middle East)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan (Middle East)
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Saudi Foreign Minister Meets with British, French Counterparts

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan (Middle East)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan (Middle East)

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah held separate meetings with his counterparts from the UK and France on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, the Saudi Press Agency reported Wednesday.

He met with Yvette Cooper, the United Kingdom Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs where they reviewed bilateral relations and the latest regional developments, as well as joint efforts to address them.

The Saudi minister also held talks with French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot. Discussions highlighted the latest regional developments and joint efforts aimed at achieving security and stability in the region.


Al-Wali to Asharq Al-Awsat: Riyadh Talks a Pivotal Moment for Yemen’s Southern Cause

Former Yemeni minister and veteran southern politician Abdel Nasser Al-Wali speaks to Asharq Al-Awsat.
Former Yemeni minister and veteran southern politician Abdel Nasser Al-Wali speaks to Asharq Al-Awsat.
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Al-Wali to Asharq Al-Awsat: Riyadh Talks a Pivotal Moment for Yemen’s Southern Cause

Former Yemeni minister and veteran southern politician Abdel Nasser Al-Wali speaks to Asharq Al-Awsat.
Former Yemeni minister and veteran southern politician Abdel Nasser Al-Wali speaks to Asharq Al-Awsat.

Former Yemeni minister and veteran southern politician Abdel Nasser Al-Wali described the meeting of Yemen’s southern leaders in Riyadh for consultations and dialogue on their cause on Sunday as a pivotal moment in its history, calling for the opening created by Saudi Arabia to be channeled into a political process that delivers lasting peace.

Speaking on the Asharq Al-Awsat podcast with Gulf affairs editor Badr Al-Qahtani, Al-Wali said Riyadh was not merely a diplomatic stop, but a place close to the heart of the Arab and Islamic worlds, offering a chance to correct past shortcomings in conveying the southern voice.

The veteran Yemeni politician said southerners now faced a “huge opportunity” under Saudi sponsorship, noting that Riyadh had taken the initiative to invite discussions on the issue and “left the matter in our hands.”

He pointed to Saudi Arabia’s role in bringing the parties together without imposing guardianship and in supporting whatever they agree upon without interference.

He said Saudi assurances had been explicit: “The opinion is yours, the decision is yours. We are sponsors and will not impose anything on you. Raise your ceiling to the sky.”

Al-Wali said a message from Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman was clear and direct.

“The southern cause is just, with historical and social dimensions, and the Kingdom will not abandon the people of the south and will stand with their will,” he remarked.

“It is enough for the southern voice to reach Saudi Arabia, and for it to understand the justice of the pain that has accumulated since unification,” he stressed.

On preparations for the Riyadh Conference for Yemeni southern dialogue, Al-Wali said discussions would address the shape of the state and its system “with an open ceiling,” to be decided by consensus without exclusion.

The focus was on restoring the state as a path toward dignity, security, stability, development, and prosperity for people, he went on to say.

“The South has room for everyone. There are no intentions of marginalization or exclusion. Any other projects are not sidelined, but discussed,” he assured.

Al-Wali addressed a message to the southern people, saying: “Trust us. We represent in Riyadh those who authorized us,” in a reference to not compromising the cause or taking decisions that contradict popular will.

In another message, he said: “The Saudis will find from the southerners only what pleases God and pleases them, while preserving the bonds of neighborhood, blood, kinship, and shared interests.”

Turning to the roots of the issue, Al-Wali said Yemeni unity had not been an “invasion” or imposed by force, but a voluntary move toward Sanaa “with open hearts,” in the hope of a larger state, a broader economy, and deeper development.

He said that if the price of stability, calm, and development were Yemen’s return to two states, then it would be better, in his view, to have two neighboring states bound by affection, with flexible and smooth economic and social relations and strong fraternal ties, rather than antagonism that “paralyzed both peoples.”

Outlining his vision for a future state, Al-Wali presented the contours of a “federal southern state” that would grant governorates room to contribute to development, investment, and wealth, with equality in rights and duties and fairness in the distribution of resources so that they reach all who deserve them.

He reiterated the centrality of Saudi Arabia’s role, saying the Kingdom’s weight was “very balanced” regionally and globally, and that its engagement represented a historic opportunity to achieve peace “without it being followed by war.”

Asked how he found Riyadh, Al-Wali replied: “As I have always known it. A country of security and stability. Calm and serenity. Love and peace. You come to it, your soul settles, and you feel reassured.”

“Their promises are sincere and are not broken,” he stressed.


Saudi Arabia and Ecuador Sign General Cooperation Agreement

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and his Ecuadorian counterpart Gabriela Sommerfeld meet in Davos on Wednesday. (SPA)
Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and his Ecuadorian counterpart Gabriela Sommerfeld meet in Davos on Wednesday. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia and Ecuador Sign General Cooperation Agreement

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and his Ecuadorian counterpart Gabriela Sommerfeld meet in Davos on Wednesday. (SPA)
Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and his Ecuadorian counterpart Gabriela Sommerfeld meet in Davos on Wednesday. (SPA)

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah held talks on Wednesday with his Ecuadorian counterpart Gabriela Sommerfeld on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos.

They reviewed relations between their countries and ways to boost them in various fields. They also exchanged views on a number of topics of mutual interest.

Following the meeting, the ministers signed a general cooperation agreement between their respective governments aimed at strengthening relations between their countries and advancing them toward broader horizons.