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Preparatory Meeting for the Extraordinary Arab-Islamic Summit Held in Riyadh
On Sunday, the preparatory meeting for the extraordinary joint Arab-Islamic summit took place in Riyadh, focusing on reaching agreement on the draft final statement of the summit, which is expected to condemn the ongoing Israeli violations against the people of Gaza and Lebanon.
Expectations are that recommendations will be adopted to formulate a unified Arab-Islamic position in response to the continuing repercussions of Israeli escalation, as well as to emphasize the importance of the two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, while stressing the need for stability in Lebanon and finding solutions to calm the situation in Beirut.
The war in Gaza erupted after an attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 1,206 people, mostly civilians, according to figures based on official Israeli data, including those who died or were killed in captivity.
During the assault, the militants kidnapped 251 individuals, of whom 97 remain in Gaza, including 34 whom the Israeli army claims are deceased.
Since then, Israel has responded with devastating bombings and ground operations in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of 43,603 people, the majority of whom are civilians, according to the latest figures from the Hamas health ministry.
The conflict extended to Lebanon when Hezbollah opened a front against Israel on October 8, 2023, in support of Hamas.
Since late September, Israel has intensified its airstrikes and begun ground operations in Lebanon, following nearly a year of cross-border shelling exchanges with Iran-backed Hezbollah in the context of the Gaza war.
Arab and Islamic leaders and their representatives arrived at the venue of the Arab-Islamic summit in Riyadh to attend the follow-up meeting to discuss ways to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon. This meeting comes as a continuation of the extraordinary joint Arab-Islamic summit that Saudi Arabia hosted on the same day last year.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan chaired the preparatory meeting for the summit, attended by the Palestinian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Mustafa, as well as Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdullah Bou Habib.
On the sidelines of the summit, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan welcomed Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa in Riyadh, where both sides discussed the latest developments in Gaza. The Saudi foreign minister also met with his Lebanese counterpart Abdullah Bou Habib to discuss the cessation of Israeli attacks on Lebanon.
