Joint OIC Arab League Summit call for end to Israeli action in Gaza

A joint Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and Arab League summit meeting held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, condemned Israeli military action in Gaza and Lebanon and called for the end of Israeli military actions. The one-day joint Arab League and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation meeting was held in the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh, on 11 November 2024.

The Summit meeting was addressed by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who called for an immediate end to the Israeli military action in Gaza and Lebanon and called upon the world to recognise the statehood of Palestine.

Who Attended the Meeting?

The joint summit meeting was attended by the 22 members of the Arab League and 57 members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Many Muslim countries attending the summit meeting are members of these Organisations.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Nigerian President Bola Tinubu were some of the prominent leaders who attended the meeting.

The Iranian  President Masoud Pezeshkian did not attend the meeting, and First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref represented it.

War in Gaza?

Israeli military action in Gaza began after the militant Palestinian group Hamas attacked Israel on 7 November 2023, killing over 1200 people and taking 240 people hostage. 

Israel started a military operation in Lebanon to neutralise the militant Islamic group Hezbollah, who, in support of Hamas, were firing rockets at Israel.

For a detailed background of the Gaza war and the Israel-Palestine dispute, read.

About the Arab League or the League of the Arab States 

The Arab League, or the League of the Arab States, is an intergovernmental organisation founded in March 1945 by Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Transjordan, and Yemen.

The Arab League aims to improve coordination among its members on matters of common interest. 

Members - 22 countries: Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Jordan, Yemen, Libya, Sudan, Tunisia, Morocco, Kuwait, Algeria, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Mauritania, Somalia, Palestine Liberation Organization(representing Palestine), Djibouti and Comoros.

Headquarters: Cairo, Egypt

Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) was established on 25 September 1969 to safeguard the interests of the Muslim countries.

Currently, it has 57 member countries- Afghanistan, Albania, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Algeria, Djibouti, Chad, Indonesia, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Côte d’Ivoire, Palestine, Gabon, Sudan, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Guyana, Iraq, Iran, Cameroon, Qatar, Kazakhstan, Somalia, Kyrgyzstan, the Comoros, Kuwait, Libya, Lebanon, Maldives, Malaysia, Mali, Egypt, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Surinam, Syria, Tajikistan, Togo, Tunisia, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Oman, Jordan, Yemen.

Syria was suspended in 2012. 

Headquarters: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia