“What the international community has largely failed to do is to end the immediate conflict and put an end to Israel’s aggression,” Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said.
The war in Gaza was triggered by a Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, when hundreds of gunmen entered southern Israel. About 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage.
Israel retaliated by launching a military operation to destroy Hamas, killing more than 43,400 people in the Gaza Strip, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
Nearly 70% of confirmed victims in the Gaza Strip over the past six months have been women and children, according to a report from the United Nations Office for Human Rights.
Leaders at the summit also condemned Israel’s “sustained attacks” on UN personnel and facilities in Gaza.
Last month, the Knesset passed a law banning Unrwa, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, from operating in Israel and occupying East Jerusalem, accusing it of colluding with Hamas.
Several countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom, have expressed serious concerns about measures that would limit the agency’s ability to deliver aid to Gaza.
The backdrop of the summit attended by many people is Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
Gulf leaders know he is close to Israel, but they also have good relations with him and want him to use his influence and love of dealings to end the conflict in the region.
In Saudi Arabia, Trump is viewed much more favorably than Joe Biden, but his performance in the Middle East is mixed.
He delighted Israel and angered the Muslim world by recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and annexing the occupied Golan Heights. He also signed the Abraham Accords in 2020, under which the UAE, Bahrain and Morocco established full diplomatic relations with Israel, and Sudan agreed to this.
But today, an editorial in a major Saudi Arabian newspaper carries the following headline: “A new era of hope. “It’s Trump’s return and the promise of stability,” he said.
