The Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit is being held on Monday in Riyadh under exceptionally dangerous circumstances, with a horrific humanitarian tragedy devastating the besieged Gaza Strip. The war waged by Israeli occupation forces against the Palestinian brothers in the Gaza Strip has entered its 14th consecutive month, with the number of Palestinian martyrs there has risen to 43,603, the majority of whom are women and children. The number of wounded has also risen to 102,929, while thousands of victims remain trapped under the rubble.
In a further escalation of brutality and crime, patients and the wounded are not receiving treatment or medical assistance, as the Israeli army has arrested doctors and rendered hospitals in northern Gaza non-functional. Occupation forces are also targeting civil defense teams and medical crews, preventing them from reaching the injured and recovering the martyrs, whose bodies are scattered in the streets and roads.
The summit comes at a time when the flames of war in Gaza have extended to Lebanon, threatening the security and stability of the entire Middle East. It also coincides with the Israeli occupation forces intensifying their genocidal war and the destruction of all means of humanitarian life in northern Gaza. Moreover, they are using starvation as a weapon in this aggression, which violates all international laws, norms, and humanitarian principles.
It is certain that the ongoing aggression against the Palestinian people in Gaza is the most barbaric and horrific, and the most flagrant violation of human values and international treaties and norms in the modern era. The occupation forces are carrying out an indiscriminate genocide 24/7 with the most advanced weapons against an unarmed population in the besieged Strip, where there is no escape from the relentless barrage of rockets, tank shells, bombs, and artillery.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has described the humanitarian situation in northern Gaza as "the worst we have seen since this horrific nightmare began. He emphasized the urgent need for a ceasefire, the release of hostages, the effective delivery of humanitarian aid, and the end of the occupation. The Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor also called for formal declaration of famine in northern Gaza due to the occupation authorities' persistent use of starvation as a weapon.
The monitor said that Israel has blocked the entry of aid and goods for over 50 days to hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped in northern Gaza, who are subjected to the most brutal genocide campaign aimed at exterminating them through murder and forced displacement. It added that civilians in northern Gaza are living under an immobilising siege, are being deliberately and continuously bombed, and are without food, water, and medical supplies. Anyone who tries to flee in search of these necessities is targeted.
The monitor said that the world is accountable for the famine crisis that Israel has caused in the Gaza Strip. Given the likelihood of dozens of deaths among the hungry every day, the international community is cautioned that this crisis is nearing its peak.
Additionally, a committee from the World Food Programme (WFP) issued a warning expressing its concern over the imminent and significant risk of famine due to the rapidly deteriorating situation in Gaza. The committee emphasized that this warning serves as a reminder that the world's eyes must be on Gaza, and "immediate action, within days not weeks, is required from all actors who are directly taking part in the conflict, or who have influence on its conduct, to avert and alleviate this catastrophic situation.
UN Commissioner Volker Turk said that the rules of war, in force now for 160 years, were designed to limit and prevent human suffering in times of armed conflict, adding that their wanton disregard has led to the current extremes of human suffering which we continue to see today in the Gaza Strip.
"It seems inconceivable that the parties to the conflict refuse to apply universally accepted and binding norms developed to preserve the very bare minimum of humanity," he said.
The attacks on Palestinian and Lebanese territories have prompted action from Arab and Islamic leaders to discuss halting the aggression, ways to protect civilians, and support the brotherly Palestinian and Lebanese peoples. They also seek to unify positions and pressure the international community to act decisively in stopping the ongoing attacks and finding sustainable solutions that ensure stability and peace in the region.
Clearly, the ongoing Israeli aggression for nearly a year is the result of a lack of genuine political will and deliberate international inaction on resolving the Palestinian cause fairly. The Israeli occupation authorities insist on imposing a fait accompli on the Palestinians and the world using all forms of force.
The horrific catastrophe in Gaza underscores the double standards and selectivity in their application, threatening global security and stability. Therefore, immediate international intervention is required to halt all forms of genocide, primarily mass killings, starvation, and forced displacement, and to work together to lift the siege on Gaza by allowing the entry of humanitarian and relief aid.
The Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit seeks to achieve Arab and Islamic consensus on the urgent need to end the war on Gaza and establish a unified vision to stop the Israeli aggression, alongside affirming the necessity of achieving stability in Lebanon.
The summit's leaders aim to make the voices of the Arab and Islamic worlds heard loud and clear after over a year of indiscriminate killing, revenge, and reckless collective punishment of the Palestinian people. They will also send a message to the world that the situation can no longer be ignored, and all the pressure exerted on the occupation to stop its war machine has not been sufficient.
The summit is expected to call on the international community, particularly the permanent members of the Security Council, to play their actual role in achieving a ceasefire in Gaza and saving civilians from the worsening humanitarian catastrophe, which will reflect on global peace and security, by taking immediate and serious steps to ensure the security of humanitarian corridors for delivering urgent food, medical, and relief aid to the besieged population.
The summit also represents a message of support for Palestinians and Lebanese facing genocide, displacement, and starvation, as well as supporting the Palestinian people's heroic resilience on their land and their legitimate rights, which no one can forfeit or compromise, especially their right to establish an independent state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
