Algeria Expects Record Attendance of Arab Leaders in Upcoming Summit

Algiers completes logistical and security preparations to host the Arab summit. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Algiers completes logistical and security preparations to host the Arab summit. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Algeria Expects Record Attendance of Arab Leaders in Upcoming Summit

Algiers completes logistical and security preparations to host the Arab summit. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Algiers completes logistical and security preparations to host the Arab summit. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Seventeen Arab leaders are expected to participate in the upcoming 31st Arab Summit, which will be held in Algiers on Nov. 1-2, according to Algerian media.

All About Algeria e-newspaper underlined the attendance of Morocco’s King Mohammed VI and his son Crown Prince Moulay Hassan, in light of the unprecedented diplomatic tension between the two countries.

Algeria severed ties with Morocco in August 2021, accusing Rabat of supporting two organizations it described as “terrorist” and of “hostile acts,” a move which Morocco said was “completely unjustified.”

All eyes are expected to focus on the King’s agenda during his stay in Algiers, who will be at his reception at the airport and whether he will meet with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

The newspaper said Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani are among the distinguished guests.

In addition to the Arab leaders, other attendees include Senegal’s President Macky Sall and Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, in his capacity as the Head of the Non-Aligned Movement.

The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Hissein Brahim Taha will also attend the upcoming event.

The Algerian media affirmed that prominent figures will take part in the summit for the first time in many years.

In this regard, Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit confirmed in an interview with Algerian state radio that the Arab summit “will see a remarkable presence of a large number of Arab leaders.”

He pointed out that a “consultation group” will be formed among the Arab leaders, to discuss various issues that benefit “unification.”

In remarks about the Summit’s agenda and the prioritized subjects, Aboul Gheit said, without elaborating, that talks will focus on rescuing the Arab countries that are facing foreign interventions, settling regional disputes and resolving several outstanding matters.

He stressed that the preparations are going according to the plan, pointing to the great efforts to make the summit a success.



Large Gaza Food Convoy Violently Looted, UNRWA Says

A truck carries humanitarian aid destined for the Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, at the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Israel, November 11, 2024. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File Photo
A truck carries humanitarian aid destined for the Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, at the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Israel, November 11, 2024. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File Photo
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Large Gaza Food Convoy Violently Looted, UNRWA Says

A truck carries humanitarian aid destined for the Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, at the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Israel, November 11, 2024. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File Photo
A truck carries humanitarian aid destined for the Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, at the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Israel, November 11, 2024. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File Photo

A convoy of 109 trucks was violently looted on Nov. 16 after entering Gaza, resulting in the loss of 98 trucks in what aid workers say is one of the worst such incidents in the more than 13-month-old war, an UNRWA aid official told Reuters on Monday.

The convoy carrying food provided by UN agencies UNRWA and the World Food Program was instructed by Israel to depart at short notice via an unfamiliar route from Kerem Shalom crossing, Louise Wateridge, UNRWA Senior Emergency Officer told Reuters.

"This incident highlights the severity of access challenges of bringing aid into southern and central Gaza," she said, adding that injuries occurred in the incident.

"⁠The urgency of the crisis cannot be overstated; without immediate intervention, severe food shortages are set to worsen, further endangering the lives of over two million people who depend on humanitarian aid to survive," she said.

WFP and COGAT, the Israeli military agency that deals with Palestinian civilian affairs, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The agency says it does all it can to ensure that enough aid enters the coastal enclave, and that Israel does not prevent the entry of humanitarian aid.

A UN aid official said on Friday that Gaza aid access had reached a low point, with deliveries to parts of the besieged north of the enclave all but impossible.