The Joint Arab Islamic Extraordinary Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, has concluded, emphasizing the urgent need for a ceasefire in the ongoing Israeli-Hamas war.
Simultaneously, United Nations agencies, including the UN Population Fund, UN Children’s Fund, and World Health Organization, are calling for immediate international action to halt attacks on hospitals in Gaza.
The summit, attended by leaders from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the League of Arab States, unequivocally condemns Israel’s military operation in Gaza.
The leaders stress the imperative of a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace, asserting that this can only be achieved by ending the Israeli occupation and addressing the Palestinian cause through the two-state solution.
In a released statement, the summit demands a decisive and binding resolution from the United Nations Security Council to impose a cessation of aggression and put an end to Israeli occupation practices violating international law.
The leaders also call for an international peace conference and support the Arab Peace Initiative as an essential reference.
Expressing concern over the humanitarian impact, the leaders condemn the shipment of arms and ammunition supporting the war, contributing to the destruction of essential infrastructure, including houses, hospitals, schools, mosques, and churches.
The summit backs a probe into war crimes, urging the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to complete the investigation.
On a separate front, United Nations agencies issue a joint statement revealing the devastating impact on healthcare facilities in Gaza.
Over the past 36 days, WHO has documented at least 137 attacks on healthcare, resulting in 521 deaths and 686 injuries, including health worker casualties.
Hospitals are facing critical shortages of fuel, water, and basic medical supplies, jeopardizing the lives of patients, including premature and newborn babies.
As fighting persists in Gaza following Hamas’s October 7 attack, the toll on both sides continues to rise. Israeli officials report around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, killed in Israel, while in Gaza, over 11,000 people, primarily civilians, have lost their lives in the conflict, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run Palestinian territory.
