Palestinian people have been facing the most heinous & ferocious Israeli aggression: Mahmoud Abbas

RIYADH, Nov 11 (SABAH): An extraordinary joint Arab-Islamic Summit on Gaza situation chaired by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman is in progress in Riyadh.

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar is representing Pakistan at the summit.

Addressing the summit, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the Palestinian people have been facing the most heinous and ferocious Israeli aggression. He said we need international protection for our unarmed Palestinian people.

The Palestinian President said Israel has been violating international laws and breached all red lines. He said we are the rightful owners of Jerusalem and holy sites.

Mahmoud Abbas reiterated that Gaza strip is part and parcel of the State of Palestine and diplomatic solution must be inclusive of all Palestinian territories including Gaza, Jerusalem and the West Bank.

Mahmoud Abbass thanked the Saudi leadership and that of other Muslim countries for their support and solidarity with the Palestinian people at this hour.

In his opening remarks, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said the Kingdom holds the Israeli occupation responsible for the crimes committed against the Palestinians, reiterating calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

The Saudi Crown Prince stressed the Kingdom’s unequivocal rejection of the continued Israeli aggression in Gaza and the forced displacement of residents. The Saudi Crown Prince also called for the immediate end of military operations and the release of hostages.

He pointed to the double standards in applying the international humanitarian law, condemning the international community’s silence towards the violations against the Palestinian civilians.

The Crown Prince called for a coordinated and collective effort among Arab and Islamic states to take effective action to lift the siege and deliver humanitarian and relief aid into Gaza.

Mohammad Bin Salman said a Palestinian state must be established on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at the summit that “it is a shame that Western countries, which always talk about human rights and freedoms, remain silent in the face of the ongoing massacres in Palestine.”

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, on his first trip to Saudi Arabia since the two countries mended ties in March, said Islamic countries should designate the Israeli army a “terrorist organisation” for its conduct in Gaza.