RIYADH: Saudi Arabia and Muslim countries called on Saturday for an immediate end to military operations in Gaza, declaring at a joint Islamic-Arab summit in Riyadh that Israel bears responsibility for “crimes” against Palestinians.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, gathered Arab and Muslim leaders for the summit as the kingdom has sought to exert its influence to press the US and Israel for an end to hostilities in Gaza.
Dozens of leaders, including Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad attended the meeting. Prince Mohammed said the kingdom affirms its “condemnation and categorical rejection of this barbaric war in Palestine”.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Palestinians are facing a “genocidal war” and called on the US to end Israeli “aggression”. Raisi hailed the Palestinian group Hamas for its war against Israel and urged Islamic countries to impose oil and goods sanctions on Israel.
The Middle East has been on edge since Hamas fighters rampaged into Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people.
In UK, a large pro-Palestinian march kicked off in London following scuffles nearby between far-right protesters and the police, who launched a major operation to avert clashes between the two rival groups.
London’s Metropolitan Police said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, they had faced aggression from counter-protesters.