Conflict in Gaza, Lebanon: Saudi Arabia’s MBS calls for instant end

At the start of an Arab and Muslim leaders’ summit in Riyadh, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MBS, called on Israel to immediately halt its military actions in Gaza and Lebanon.

Prince Salman denounced the “massacre committed against Palestinian and Lebanese people” in a speech ahead of Monday’s joint Arab League and Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) conference.

He called on nations worldwide to recognize Palestinian sovereignty.

MBS further asked Israel “to refrain from any further act of aggression”.

Ahmed Aboul Gheit, secretary-general of the Arab League, also joined the crown prince who is also known as MBS, in denouncing Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and Lebanon.

Gheit said: “Words cannot express the plight of the Palestinian people.

“The actions taken by Israel against the Palestinian people are undermining efforts to achieve lasting peace.

“It is only with justice that we will be able to establish lasting peace”, Aboul Gheit said.

Prime Minister Najib Mikati of Lebanon told the conference that Israel’s attack on Hezbollah was causing his nation to face a “unprecedented” situation that could endanger its existence.

“Lebanon is going through an unprecedented historical and existential crisis that threatens its present and future”, he said.

The conference was also attended by Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Masoud Pezeshkian, the president of Iran, skipped the meeting because of urgent “executive matters”.

However, Pezeshkian stated that Mohammad Reza Aref, Iran’s first vice president, would be present.

The conference takes place a year after leaders of the OIC, located in Jeddah, and the Arab League, based in Cairo, met similarly in Riyadh and denounced Israeli operations in Gaza as “barbaric.”

Nevertheless, amid calls to cut diplomatic and economic ties with Israel or cut off its oil supplies, leaders could not agree on what to do.

Both those that recognize Israel and those that are adamantly opposed to its regional integration are members of the 22-member Arab League and the 57-member OIC.

According to Anna Jacobs, senior Gulf analyst for the International Crisis Group think tank, leaders in Riyadh are probably thinking about Donald Trump’s election as president of the United States last week and his impending second term in office.

“This summit is very much an opportunity for regional leaders to signal to the incoming Trump administration what they want in terms of US engagement”, she said.

“The message will likely be one of dialogue, de-escalation and calling out Israeli military campaigns in the region”.

Following an enormous Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023 that left over 1,100 people dead, Israel launched its war on Gaza.

Israel has since murdered around 43,600 Palestinians in Gaza according to reports.

The majority of whom were ascribed to be civilians.

Since October 7 of last year, Israel has also killed over 3,100 civilians in Lebanon in its conflict with Hezbollah, which is supported by Iran.

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