The Saudi capital, Al-Riyadh, hosted on Saturday an Arab-Islamic summit aimed at addressing the Israeli aggression on Gaza ongoing for the 36th day in a row.
The Iranian President addressed the summit, emphasizing the historic significance of today’s meeting in supporting the Palestinian cause, particularly the defense of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
“Global demonstrations underscore the universal commitment to safeguarding Palestine,” he said.
“Gaza’s current state, likened to the world’s largest prison due to the imposed siege, is condemned for violating international rights norms. Instances of Israeli crimes, such as civilian casualties and hospital bombings, are highlighted, urging a collective responsibility before God,” Raisi added.
The Iranian President called out the United States for complicity in Israel’s actions, prioritizing the Zionist entity over the lives of oppressed individuals.
President Raisi highlighted the United States effective support to ‘Israel’ in the conflict, emphasizing the need for a ceasefire.
Expressing concern over the creation of a destabilizing entity in the Islamic world, the Iranian President stressed the imperative of establishing a ceasefire.
Raisi also called for the complete lifting of the blockade on Gaza and unrestricted opening of the Rafah crossing, urgently demanding the Zionist entity’s withdrawal from Gaza.
“Had it not been for resistance confrontations in Gaza and Lebanon, the conflict would have inevitably spilled over into other Arab and Islamic nations,” Raisi said.
The Iranian President indicated that the future belongs to the resistance, adding, “Palestinian people are the true heroes, Al-Quds is ours, and victory is inevitable.”
Emergency summit of OIC-Arab League to address Israeli war on Gaza underway in Saudi capital Riyadh https://t.co/qU3L6uNwI9
— Press TV (@PressTV) November 11, 2023
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President al-Assad: Gaza has never just been a cause… Palestine is the Cause, and Gaza is the embodiment of its essence
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that Gaza has never just been a cause… Palestine is the Cause, and Gaza is the embodiment of its essence and a blatant expression of the suffering of its people.
Addressing the Summit, President al-Assad said that Gaza is part of a whole, and the current aggression against Gaza is part of a 75 years of the Zionist crimes.
President al-Assad considered that 32 years of failed peace, the only result of which was that the entity became more aggressive and the Palestinian situation became more unjust, oppressive, and miserable.
His Excellency stressed that if we do not have real pressure tools, then any step or speech we take will not make sense.
President al-Assad said that “more Arab meekness is equivalent to more Zionist ferocity and massacres against us,” and “talking about the two states and other details is not a priority, despite its importance, since talking about this issue will be in vain.”
President al-Assad added that Zionism surpassed itself in barbarism and murder, which puts us before unprecedented responsibilities.
President al-Assad explained that the Palestinian people do not need our humanitarian aid but rather protection against the genocide that is coming to them.
President al-Assad concluded that the brave Palestinian resistance imposed a new reality in our region and thanks to it we now have the political tools that allow us to change the equations.
Delivering the opening remarks, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman (MBS) called for an immediate cessation of military operations in Gaza and the release of all captives and prisoners.
“This is a humanitarian catastrophe that has proved the failure of the international community and the UN Security Council to put an end to Israel’s gross violations of international humanitarian laws, and prove the dual standards adopted by the world,” he said.
“We are certain the only cause for peace is the end of the Israeli occupation and illegal settlements, and restoration of the established rights of the Palestinian people and the establishment of the state on 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital,” MBS added.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas highlighted that besides Gaza, Israeli forces’ raids in the occupied West Bank have also escalated and called on the United States administration to put an end to “Israel’s aggression, the occupation, violation and desecration of our holy sites”.
“No military and security solutions are acceptable as they have all failed. We categorically reject any efforts to displace our people from Gaza or the West Bank,” Abbas added.
Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani questioned for how long the international community will treat Israel as if it is above international law.
“The international world remains immune in front of all these scenes. Who could have imagined that hospitals could be publicly shelled in the 21st century?” he said.
The kingdom’s foreign ministry announced at the eleventh hour on Friday that it will be convening an ‘extraordinary joint gathering’ of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab League on Saturday.
The decision came after consultations with members of both influential organizations, “spurring the need for unifying efforts and establishing a collective stance on the escalating crisis.”
The summit brought together member states from across the Islamic and Arab worlds, including Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, and Iraq. A notable inclusion was Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, marking the first visit by an Iranian president to Saudi Arabia in over a decade.
The Israeli occupation is still committing massacres against the Gazans, amid catastrophic humanitarian situation in the besieged enclave.
Gaza Strip has been subjected to a relentless onslaught. After 36 days of Israeli aggression death toll continues to rise as hospitals struggle to cope with the influx of wounded victims seeking medical attention.
According to Ashraf Al-Qudra, the spokesman for the Ministry of Health in Gaza, the death toll from Israeli occupation aggression has now reached a staggering 11,078 martyrs. Among the victims are 4,506 children, 3,027 women, and 678 elderly individuals. Additionally, 27,490 citizens have been injured throughout the 35-day onslaught.
On the sidelines of the Arab-Islamic summit on Gaza in Riyadh, outgoing Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati met with the Iranian President, who emphasized during the meeting that ‘the resistance (Hezbollah) in Lebanon is independent in its decisions and actions and does not take orders from Iran’.
According to media outlets, the Iranian president also told the Lebanese prime minister that “Hezbollah’s action in southern Lebanon is based on wisdom, reason and deterrence in the face of Israeli aggression”.
In his speech during the Arab-Islamic Summit, Mikati focused on the need to establish peace for a better future. He also called for the implementation of the UN Resolution 1701.
Mikati renewed the country’s commitment to international legitimacy, particularly emphasizing UN Resolution 1701. He stressed the necessity to exert pressure on ‘Israel’, urging the implementation of all provisions outlined in the resolution and calling for an end to provocations and aggression on Lebanese soil.
Th Summit’s Closing Statement
The draft final statement of the Arab-Islamic Summit in Riyadh today, Saturday, stressed the necessity of breaking the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip and imposing the immediate entry of humanitarian aid, including food, medicine, and fuel.
The statement also called for “the participation of international organizations in the process of introducing aid convoys, and that these organizations must enter the Strip, protect their crews, enable them to fully carry out their role, and support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).”
It also called on “the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to begin an immediate investigation into the Israeli war crimes and crimes against humanity against the Palestinian people in all the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem.”
Finally, the statement condemned “the inhumane crimes and massacres committed by the colonial occupation government” and rejected “characterizing this retaliatory war as self-defense or justifying it under any pretext.”
Source: Al-Manar English Website
