Saudi Arabia Calls for Urgent OIC Ministerial Meeting on Gaza
A high-level meeting has been called by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), a significant alliance of 57 Islamic nations, to address the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict. This “urgent extraordinary meeting,” hosted by Saudi Arabia, aims to discuss the military escalation in the region and the increasing threat to civilians in Gaza. The OIC, positioning itself as the collective voice of the Muslim world, is second only to the United Nations in terms of membership and represents countries across four continents.
The meeting comes at a time when Saudi Arabia has suspended talks about potentially normalizing relations with Israel, signaling growing concern over the situation in Gaza. The recent conflict began when Hamas launched a large-scale attack on Israel, leading to a retaliatory bombing campaign, causing significant casualties and tensions in the Gaza Strip. Saudi Arabia, which had not recognized Israel and abstained from the 2020 Abraham Accords, had been under pressure from the US to normalize relations.
Under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Riyadh had outlined conditions for normalization, including security guarantees from the US and cooperation on developing a civilian nuclear program. In recent days, Saudi Arabia has expressed increasing distress over the plight of Palestinians in Gaza, and it criticized Israel’s actions against “defenceless civilians.” This marks a significant shift in Saudi Arabia’s stance and suggests a deepening concern for the ongoing conflict in the region.
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