Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) has called for immediate cease-fires in Gaza and Lebanon during a joint summit of the Arab League and Organization of Islamic Cooperation, aiming to renew momentum for a Palestinian state.
Arab and Muslim leaders convened in Riyadh amid more than a year of intense Israeli bombardments in Gaza and broader regional tensions, viewing the summit as an opportunity to signal to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.
In his opening address, MBS urged the international community to "immediately halt the Israeli actions against our brothers in Palestine and Lebanon," denouncing Israel’s Gaza campaign as "genocide."
Saudi Arabia "affirms its support for the brothers in Palestine and Lebanon to overcome the disastrous humanitarian consequences of the ongoing Israeli aggression," he said.
A draft resolution for the summit emphasizes "firm support" for "national rights" for the Palestinian people, "foremost among which is their right to freedom and to an independent, sovereign state."
Just hours earlier, newly appointed Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said it was not "realistic" to establish a Palestinian state, dismissing it as a "Hamas state."
"I don’t think this position is realistic today, and we must be realistic," Saar said in Jerusalem.
Prince Mohammed also urged Israel not to attack Iran, highlighting improving ties between Saudi Arabia and its former regional rival.
Meanwhile, Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati warned that the country was suffering an "existential" crisis and criticized countries meddling in its internal affairs—a thinly veiled swipe at Iran.
Countries should stop "interfering in its internal affairs by supporting this or that group, but rather support Lebanon as a state and entity," Mikati said.
‘Calling out’ Israel
The Saudi foreign ministry announced plans for the summit in late October during a meeting, also in Riyadh, of a new "international alliance" to press for the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Trump’s election last week for a second term in the White House is likely on the leaders’ minds, said Anna Jacobs, senior Gulf analyst for the International Crisis Group.
"This summit is very much an opportunity for regional leaders to signal to the incoming Trump administration what they want in terms of U.S. engagement," she said.
The latest conflict in Gaza began with Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, incursion into southern Israel, which resulted in 1,206 deaths.
Israel’s retaliatory strikes have killed more than 43,600 people in Gaza, according to data from the Hamas-run health ministry, which the United Nations considers reliable.
Lebanon-based Hezbollah, which like Hamas is backed by Iran, began firing on Israel after the Oct. 7 attack.
The regular cross-border exchanges escalated in late September when Israel intensified its airstrikes and sent ground troops into southern Lebanon.
Despite criticism of the impact Israel’s military campaign has had on Gaza civilians, outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden has ensured Washington remains Israel’s most important military backer throughout more than a year of fighting.
Abraham Accords
In his first term, Trump showed even firmer support for Israel, defying international consensus by recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and moving the U.S. embassy there.
He also endorsed Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, which are illegal under international law.
Under the Abraham Accords, Trump oversaw the establishment of Israeli diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, as well as Morocco.
Though Saudi Arabia did not join those agreements, Trump cultivated warm ties with the Gulf kingdom while in office and has deepened his business connections to the region during the Biden years.
The 57-member OIC and 22-member Arab League include countries that recognize Israel and those firmly opposed to its regional integration.
A similar summit last year in Riyadh saw disagreement on measures like severing economic and diplomatic ties with Israel and disrupting its oil supplies.