Iraqi president to take part in Islamic, Arab summit in Riyadh

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rasheed is taking part in the combined Islamic and Arab summit in Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh on Saturday over the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.

President Rasheed is accompanied by Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Fuad Hussein and a number of members of the parliament.

Leaders from the Arab and Islamic world are set to convene at an extraordinary session in Riyadh on Saturday to announce a unified response with regard to the unprecedented situation in Gaza, where more than 11,000 people have been killed so far, per figures that have been published by the Hamas-run Health Ministry since Oct. 7.

Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and Palestinian Authority Mahmood Abbas are also attending. Turkish and Iranian presidents will similarly attend the session. 

Saudi Crown Mohammad bin Salman on Friday condemned the “aggression” in Gaza at the Saudi-African Summit, where he had called for an immediate ceasefire to the more than a month-long conflict, displacing more than one million and a half Palestinians.

In the combined Arab League and Organization of Islamic Co-Operation Summit, foreign ministers are preparing a draft resolution that will be issued as a joint communiqué of the Arab countries on the crisis.

Iraq has repeatedly slammed the Israeli attacks and operations in Gaza, calling for an immediate ceasefire and delivering much-needed aid to the vulnerable population who are at great risk of disease outbreak, according to numerous international aid organizations.

Despite reports that Israel has agreed to a daily “four-hour pause” of military operations to allow safe passage of civilians from the war zone, Tel Aviv refused that it would cease its operations unless all the hostages in Hamas’ captivity were released.

The renewed conflict has been sparked by Hamas’ Oct. 7 bloody and surprise attack on Israeli southern communities, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 civilians and members of the security forces. More than 200 Israelis have been taken hostage as well.