At a summit in Saudi Arabia on Monday, the heads of state of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation unanimously demanded the total withdrawal of Israel from the territories occupied since 1967, including the West Bank, Jerusalem- East and the Syrian Golan Heights. “A just and comprehensive peace in the region […] cannot be achieved without ending the Israeli occupation,” states the summit's final declaration, which builds on UN resolutions and the 2002 Arab peace plan. They also reaffirmed their support for creation of an independent Palestinian state.
For its part, the government of Benjamin Netanyahu is firmly opposed to the creation of a Palestinian state. “This is not a realistic project today,” declared Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, arguing that such a state would become a “Hamas state.” However, Israel's position goes against the aspirations of the majority of the international community, in favor of the two-state solution.
Condemnation of the actions of the Israeli army
Summit participants also “strongly condemned” the actions of the Israeli army, described as a “crime of genocide […] particularly in the northern Gaza Strip in recent weeks,” where the Israeli army has been carrying out an offensive since October 6. They called on the international community to “ban the export or transfer of arms and munitions to Israel” and condemned “continued attacks by Israeli authorities […] against the UN.
“The world is waiting” for the future Trump administration to “immediately” end the wars in Gaza and Lebanon, Iranian First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref declared in Riyadh. He described the assassinations of the leaders of Palestinian Hamas, in July in Tehran, and of Lebanese Hezbollah, at the end of September near Beirut, as “organized terrorism” on the part of Israel. At the same time, Hezbollah announced that it was “ready for a long war”, while the Israeli army ruled out any cease-fire without the “capitulation” of the Lebanese Islamist movement.
Warming between Iran and Saudi Arabia
Against a backdrop of regional conflict, this summit also highlighted a strategic rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran, after seven years of tensions. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called Iran a “sister Republic” while calling on Israel to “refrain from attacking” its neighbor. Iran, an ally of Hezbollah and Hamas, has denounced Israel's targeted assassinations of Palestinian and Lebanese leaders as “organized terrorism.”
Saudi Arabia, which seeks to extricate itself from the conflict in Yemen, however condemns Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. Despite discussions on a possible ceasefire in Lebanon, tensions remain high, with Israel conditioning any agreement on the complete neutralization of Hezbollah.
