This Saturday, leaders of Arab and Muslim countries gathered in Riyadh for an emergency summit on Gaza. They condemned on Saturday the “barbaric actions of Israeli forces in Gaza, but refrained from announcing punitive economic and political measures against Israel.
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An arms and ammunition embargo againstIsraelthis is in particular what the press release from the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation request. Before the release of the press release, the leaders took turns speaking. Overall, they called for an immediate ceasefire in the Strip Gazareports our regional correspondent, Nicolas Keraudren.
They were also critical of the West. The Emir of QatarSheikh Tamim Al Thani, for example, asked himself “ How long will the international community treat Israel as if it were above international law? “. “ We observe this policy of double standards […]. I am talking about countries that […] turn a blind eye to Israel’s failure to respect the basics of international law “, declared for his part the Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs, Faisal bin Farhane.
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The summit’s final communiqué rejected Israel’s arguments that it was acting in a state of “ self-defense ” and demanded that the UN Security Council adopt a resolution ” binding ” to end the ” aggression » Israeli. He also rejected any future political solution to the conflict that would keep the Gaza Strip separate from the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
The communiqué also orders “ taxation » of the entry of humanitarian aid, food, medicine and fuel into Gaza, points out our correspondent in Cairo, Alexandre Buccianti. In other words, the entry, even by force, of aid into Gaza. A very strong formula which reflects the discontent of the governments of Arab-Muslim countries. Saudi Arabia, which, along with the United Arab Emirates and Qatar and other Arab-Muslim countries, sent massive aid to Gaza via Egypt. Aid which far exceeds that of the rest of the world, but the majority of which has still not been able to return due to Israeli refusal.
Algeria and Lebanon, in particular, have proposed to certain countries to sever economic and diplomatic ties with Israel and to stop supplying oil to this country and its allies, according to Arab diplomats. However, at least three countries, including the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, which normalized relations with Israel in 2020, have rejected the proposal. Before the final communiqué was released, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that the absence of punitive measures against Israel would make the summit ” insignificant “.
A symbolic trip by Ebrahim Raïssi to Saudi Arabia
For his part, Iranian President Ebrahim Raïssi called on Muslim countries to describe the Israeli army as “ terrorist organization » and « arm the Palestinians ” if “ the attacks continued » in Gaza. He asked Muslim countries to “ sever all political and economic relations » with Israel. It was also his first trip to Saudi Arabia since the two countries reestablished diplomatic relations. At the same time, the Iranian leader spoke with Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman.
Iran politically, financially and militarily supports Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, but also the Lebanese Hezbollah and the Houthis in Yemen who have launched missiles and drones against Israel, recalls our correspondent in Tehran, Siavosh Ghazi. Iran welcomed the operation carried out by Hamas against Israel from the start. President Raïssi also denounced the military support of the United States which sends arms and ammunition to Israel. With this position, Iran has once again shown its unconditional support for Palestinian Islamist groups.
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(And with AFP)