Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud (C) speaks during the Joint Arab Islamic Extraordinary Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Nov. 11, 2023. The Joint Arab Islamic Extraordinary Summit held in the Saudi capital of Riyadh on Saturday called for an immediate cessation of military operations in Gaza. (SPA/Handout via Xinhua)
RIYADH/GAZA, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Joint Arab Islamic Extraordinary Summit held in the Saudi capital of Riyadh on Saturday called for an immediate cessation of military operations in Gaza.
The summit gathered a number of Islamic and Arab countries and organizations to come up with a unified stand regarding the developments in Gaza and the Palestinian territories.
In his opening speech, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud reiterated "demands for an immediate halt to military operations, for the provision of humanitarian corridors to aid civilians, and for enabling international humanitarian organizations to perform their roles."
He also called for releasing hostages and detainees, protecting innocent people, and coordinating efforts and actions to address the unfortunate situation in Gaza.
He stressed that to achieve security, peace and stability in the region requires ending the Israeli occupation, siege and settlements, and enabling the Palestinian people to obtain their legitimate rights and establish an independent state within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Meanwhile, Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit stressed that "Israel has been seeking, since the first day of its occupation of this strip, to have its residents disappear or displaced from it."
For his part, Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Hissein Brahim Taha said the summit confirms the absolute support for the Palestinians and the joint commitment to defending the Palestinian cause.
In a press statement on Saturday, the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) called on the summit "to take a historic and decisive decision to take action to stop the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip immediately."
It also urged all Arab and Islamic capacities to implement the decision by putting pressure on the United States, which Hamas said bears direct responsibility for Israel's mass killing of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.
Israel struck Gaza in retaliation for a cross-border Hamas attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7. The month-long conflict has so far led to the deaths of over 11,000 Palestinians in Gaza. On the Israeli side, more than 1,400 people lost their lives, the majority of whom were killed in the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, which triggered the ongoing conflict. ■
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas speaks during the Joint Arab Islamic Extraordinary Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Nov. 11, 2023. The Joint Arab Islamic Extraordinary Summit held in the Saudi capital of Riyadh on Saturday called for an immediate cessation of military operations in Gaza. (SPA/Handout via Xinhua)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during the Joint Arab Islamic Extraordinary Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Nov. 11, 2023. The Joint Arab Islamic Extraordinary Summit held in the Saudi capital of Riyadh on Saturday called for an immediate cessation of military operations in Gaza. (SPA/Handout via Xinhua)
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi speaks during the Joint Arab Islamic Extraordinary Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Nov. 11, 2023. The Joint Arab Islamic Extraordinary Summit held in the Saudi capital of Riyadh on Saturday called for an immediate cessation of military operations in Gaza. (SPA/Handout via Xinhua)
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi attends the Joint Arab Islamic Extraordinary Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Nov. 11, 2023. The Joint Arab Islamic Extraordinary Summit held in the Saudi capital of Riyadh on Saturday called for an immediate cessation of military operations in Gaza. (SPA/Handout via Xinhua)
This photo taken on Nov. 11, 2023 shows a scene of the Joint Arab Islamic Extraordinary Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Joint Arab Islamic Extraordinary Summit held in the Saudi capital of Riyadh on Saturday called for an immediate cessation of military operations in Gaza. (SPA/Handout via Xinhua)
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad attends the Joint Arab Islamic Extraordinary Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Nov. 11, 2023. The Joint Arab Islamic Extraordinary Summit held in the Saudi capital of Riyadh on Saturday called for an immediate cessation of military operations in Gaza. (SPA/Handout via Xinhua)
