Extraordinary joint Arab-Islamic summit on Gaza conflict kicks off in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Waleed bin Abdulkarim El-Khereiji attends a special Arab leaders' summit to discuss the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, November 9, 2023. REUTERS/Ahmed Yosri

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In Saudi Arabia, leaders from the GCC and the larger Arab and Muslim world are meeting for crisis talks on the worsening Israel-Gaza conflict.

Participants in the joint special summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab League include Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and Syrian President Bashar Al Assad. According to the ministry, the combined summit will take the place of two separate events that were planned for earlier this month.

The decision was taken after the Kingdom consulted with the Arab League and the OIC, according to a statement issued Saturday by the Saudi foreign ministry.

The joint meeting “will be held in response to the exceptional circumstances taking place in the Palestinian Gaza Strip as countries feel the need to unify efforts and come out with a unified collective position,” it said.

The summit is expected to strongly condemn Israel’s campaign in Gaza and call for a halt to forced displacement of Palestinians there.

Raisi said on Saturday that time had come for action over the conflict rather than talk as he headed to Riyadh.

“Gaza is not an arena for words. It should be for action,” he said at Tehran airport before departing. “Today, the unity of the Islamic countries is very important,” he added.

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