Leaders of OIC Member States Call for Immediate End to War in Gaza

On Saturday, November 11, leaders of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states convened in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, calling for an immediate halt to military operations in Gaza and labeling Israel as "responsible for crimes against Palestinians." According to Reuters, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia organized this summit to unite Islamic leaders in "increasing pressure on the U.S. and Israel" to end the conflict in Gaza. Among the participants were Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad. In his remarks, the Saudi Crown Prince condemned the current situation in Gaza, stating, "We firmly condemn this brutal war against our brothers in Palestine." He noted that "a humanitarian catastrophe" is unfolding, indicating that the United Nations Security Council and the international community have failed to stop Israel's "blatant violations of international law." Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas stated that Palestinians are facing a "genocidal war" and urged the U.S. to end what he termed "Israeli aggression." Ebrahim Raisi, while supporting the militant group Hamas in its fight against Israel, called on Islamic countries to impose oil and commodity sanctions against Israel, saying, "We kiss Hamas's hands for resisting against Israel." Since Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7, killing over 1,400 people, mostly civilians, the war in Gaza has escalated. Many member states of this organization, especially the Islamic Republic, have refrained from condemning the actions of Hamas militants in Israel. Hamas's attacks were met with a response from Israel, which began its operations targeting Hamas amid a blockade of the Gaza Strip. According to Hamas, which controls Gaza, Israeli attacks have resulted in over 11,000 deaths, approximately 40% of whom are children. Israel has repeatedly urged Palestinian civilians to evacuate from northern Gaza to the south, accusing Hamas of preventing civilians from leaving. Hamas has denied this claim. The leaders of the OIC member states also accused Israel of using civilians as human shields and stated that the group hides weapons and equipment beneath or around hospitals and schools. Hamas is listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S., the European Union, the UK, and several other countries. Disagreements among Arab countries emerged as Hamas officials in Gaza reported that clashes have intensified near hospitals in the city. According to Reuters, this war is altering traditional Middle Eastern alliances and bringing Riyadh closer to Tehran. Saudi Arabia has ignored U.S. pressures to condemn Hamas and has halted its plans for normalizing relations with Israel. Ebrahim Raisi's visit to Saudi Arabia marks the first visit by an Iranian head of state to the country in over a decade. Tehran and Riyadh recently ended years of hostility based on an agreement mediated by China. According to the report, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called for an international peace conference to find a permanent solution to end the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, stating, "What we need in Gaza is not a temporary halt to the war, but a permanent ceasefire." The Emir of Qatar, whose country hosts several Hamas leaders, expressed hope for a humanitarian ceasefire soon while mediating for the release of Israeli hostages. He added, "How long will the international community treat Israel as if it is above international law?" According to Reuters, Saudi Arabia was supposed to host two extraordinary meetings of the OIC and the Arab League on Saturday and Sunday, but due to the "extraordinary" situation in Gaza, these two meetings were merged. Hamas had requested that this summit make a "historic and decisive decision and take action to immediately stop the Zionist aggression." Two representatives present at the summit told Reuters that Arab foreign ministers were divided on completely severing diplomatic ties with Israel. While some countries, like Algeria, called for cutting ties with Israel, other Arab countries that have established diplomatic relations with Israel emphasized maintaining communication channels with the Netanyahu government.