Arab and Muslim leaders have started arriving in Riyadh for a critical summit set for Monday, focusing on the ongoing Israeli military actions in Gaza and Lebanon.
The summit, organized by Saudi Arabia, is part of a broader international effort to advocate for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It comes in the wake of the escalating violence since the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel, which resulted in over 1,200 Israeli deaths, mostly civilians. In retaliation, Israel’s military actions in Gaza have caused over 43,600 casualties, primarily civilians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
The United Nations has confirmed these figures, highlighting the increasingly dire humanitarian crisis in the region.
The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported that the summit will address Israel’s aggression in Palestinian territories and Lebanon, with key regional developments on the agenda. This follows a similar meeting in Riyadh last year, where the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza as “barbaric.”
Key attendees at the summit include Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is expected to call for an immediate halt to the violence in Gaza. Sharif has described the situation as genocide and strongly condemned Israel’s military actions in the region.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan led a preparatory meeting on Sunday to finalize the summit’s agenda. The meeting underscores Saudi Arabia’s leadership role in coordinating regional efforts to address the violence and push for a political resolution to the prolonged conflict.
Along with the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the violence has spread to southern Lebanon, where Hezbollah militants, supported by Iran, have engaged in cross-border clashes with Israel. These hostilities escalated in late September, following a significant increase in Israeli airstrikes in the area.
