Leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council and ASEAN Call for Immediate and Sustainable Ceasefire Between Israel and Hamas

On Friday, October 20, leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) held a joint meeting hosted by Saudi Arabia, calling for an immediate and sustainable ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. In the final statement of the summit, the leaders condemned 'any military attack against civilians' and called for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. Saudi Arabia, which has initiated multiple diplomatic initiatives across the Middle East over the past year, has called for an end to the fighting. Before the onset of these conflicts, the country was in discussions with the United States to normalize relations with Israel in exchange for a defense pact with the U.S., assistance in establishing a civilian nuclear program, and unspecified concessions for the Palestinians. Sixteen countries participated in this joint summit between the Gulf Cooperation Council and ASEAN. The meeting took place while humanitarian aid trucks carrying food, water, and medicine were still waiting to enter Gaza at the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip. On Wednesday, U.S. President Joe Biden announced after a phone call with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi that Egypt had agreed to open the Rafah crossing for humanitarian aid trucks, and Israel also stated that it would not prevent the entry of these trucks but would not allow the aid to fall into the hands of the militant group Hamas. The United Nations is set to distribute this aid in Gaza. Blinken: Iran's missile activities are 'one of the biggest challenges' to international peace and security. Exclusive: Israel's special envoy: 'The murderous regime' of the Islamic Republic has also taken people hostage like Hamas. Saudi and Emirati officials met simultaneously with 'concerns about the expansion of war in the region.' Israel's 'three-phase' war with Hamas; Gallant: The goal is 'to eliminate Hamas and establish a new security order.' Live blog: G7 foreign ministers welcome the cessation of hostilities; all hostages should be released unconditionally. Guterres visits the Rafah border crossing amid intensified efforts to assist civilians in Gaza. The Israeli army claims to have attacked the location of three 'terrorists' from Hezbollah in Lebanon.