By Ibrahim Al Khazen
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AA) - An Arab ministerial consultative meeting held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Thursday night called for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Gaza, which has been facing an Israeli war since Oct. 7 last year.
The meeting emphasized support for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees or UNRWA, rejected the forced displacement of Palestinians, and affirmed that Gaza is an integral part of the occupied Palestinian territory.
The call came in a statement from the Saudi Foreign Ministry following a meeting of foreign ministers from the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, and Jordan, in addition to Hussein Al-Sheikh, secretary-general of the Palestine Liberation Organization Executive Committee.
The statement said the Saudi foreign minister called for holding a consultative meeting to discuss developments in the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip.
The meeting took place without prior announcement, coinciding with a tour by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to the Middle East.
The attendees stressed the necessity of ending the war on the Gaza Strip, reaching an immediate and comprehensive cease-fire, ensuring the protection of civilians in line with international humanitarian law, and lifting all restrictions hindering the entry of humanitarian aid into the strip.
They expressed their support for the UN agency – which has been suffering losses in funding since Israel accused some of its staffers of taking part in Hamas’ Oct. 7 on Israel – and urged all its supporters to fulfill their supportive role towards Palestinian refugees.
They also stressed the importance of taking "irreversible" steps to implement the two-state solution, recognizing the state of Palestine along the lines of June 4, 1967, with its capital in East Jerusalem, in line with relevant international decisions.
Israel launched a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip following an Oct. 7 cross-border attack by Hamas, killing at least 27,585 Palestinians and injuring 66,978 others, while nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.
The Israeli offensive has left 85% of Gaza’s population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.
An interim ruling last month by the International Court of Justice told Israel to cease its abuses, but most international observers say it has been flouting the ruling.
*Writing by Alperen Aktas in Istanbul