11:04 a.m. ET, November 11, 2023
Arab and Muslim leaders call for ceasefire and criticize West during summit
By CNN’s Zeena Saifi in Jerusalem Leaders pose for a family photo at the extraordinary summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, November 11. Mustafa Kamaci/Anadolu/Getty Images Leaders at the joint Arab-Islamic extraordinary summit in Riyadh on Saturday reiterated calls for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas as the humanitarian situation in Gaza worsens. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi is in the Saudi capital for the summit. This is the first trip by an Iranian head of state to Saudi Arabia in 11 years after the two countries resumed diplomatic ties in March. Raisi said the participants gathered there in the name of the Islamic world to “save the Palestinians.” Meanwhile, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in his opening speech: “We categorically reject this brutal war.”
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The President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas said the United States, “which has the greatest influence over Israel, bears responsibility for the lack of a political solution.”
“We demand that they put an end to Israeli aggression and the Israeli occupation of our land,” he said.
He called on the United Nations Security Council to “immediately end the brutal Israeli aggression against the Palestinians” and reiterated the need to ensure aid access to Gaza.
“I cannot believe that this is happening under the eyes and ears of the world without calling for an immediate end to this brutal war,” he added.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at the summit: “The world’s silence in the face of this brutality shames us all.”
“Gaza is almost completely destroyed and Western countries are not even calling for a ceasefire. …There is no doubt that anyone who remains silent about injustice is a partner in the perpetration of injustice,” Erdogan added.
The Turkish president said Israel was seeking revenge for Hamas’ attacks on October 7, adding that while no one supported the events of that day, this was not an excuse for Israel to kill civilians.
“Words are no longer enough to describe what has been happening in Gaza and Ramallah since October 7,” Erdogan said, claiming that Israel is killing civilians, hospitals, ambulances in a “brutal and barbaric way unparalleled in history and attacks places of worship.” ”
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad criticized the normalization agreements between Arab countries and Israel, saying the policy did more harm than good.
“More hands from us means more massacres against us… What we have to do to help Palestine is to use actual political tools, not rhetorical tools, and that means, firstly, stopping any political process with the Zionist entity,” he said .
Assad said what is happening in Gaza today should not be seen in isolation, but rather seen as a “manifestation” of the Palestinian cause and a “blatant expression of the suffering” of Palestinians.
“If we continue to approach the aggression against Gaza today with the same methodology, then we will pave the way for the completion of the massacre… and the death of the cause,” he said.
Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani criticized the international community for failing to “stop war crimes and massacres in Gaza.”
“We wonder how long the international community will continue to treat Israel as if it is above international law, and how long it will tolerate its disregard for all international laws in its brutal, never-ending war against the country’s indigenous population “, the Qatari said the ruler.
The emir said Qatar continued to support all regional and international diplomatic efforts to “de-escalate, stem the bloodshed and protect civilians, including ongoing efforts in humanitarian mediation to release hostages,” adding: “We hope in the near future to achieve a humanitarian ceasefire in the future.” Future.”