Iran’s President Raisi will attend OIC summit on Gaza in Riyadh

Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi will attend the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This marks the first visit by an Iranian head of state to Saudi Arabia since the two countries ended years of hostility in March through a China-brokered deal.

The summit in Riyadh will address the Gaza crisis and the issue of Palestine. The ongoing conflict in Gaza has yet to see a consensus among world and regional powers, and it has caused significant concern regarding humanitarian conditions.

The Iran-Saudi reconciliation in March aimed to restore diplomatic ties after seven years of hostility that had regional implications.

S Arabia calls an extraordinary Islamic summit on Nov 12

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will hold an extraordinary Islamic summit at the invitation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in its capacity as Chair of the current Islamic Summit, on Sunday, 28 Rabi’ul Thani 1445, corresponding to 12 November 2023, in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in order to discuss the brutal Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people.

China vows to do its utmost to restore peace in Palestine

Meanwhile on Monday, China vowed that it would do its utmost to restore peace in Palestine and continue to work with the international community to make unremitting and relentless efforts to mediate conflicts and bring the Palestinian question back to the track of the two-state solution.

“China will do its utmost to restore peace in Palestine as it takes over the presidency of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) this month,” Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said while responding to a question about Gaza situation during his regular briefing.

He said, “The disastrous humanitarian situation in Gaza tests the conscience of mankind and tramples on the basic norms governing international relations.

“China will push the UNSC to fulfill its responsibilities, build consensus, and take responsible and meaningful action as soon as possible to ease the current crisis and safeguard the safety of civilians,” he added.

Wang Wenbin said the current Palestinian-Israeli conflict had resulted in over 11,000 deaths, mostly civilians. The past few days in particular had seen Palestinian civilian casualties rocketing and catastrophic humanitarian situation engulfing Gaza.

“This tragedy is a challenge to human conscience and affront to the basic norms of international relations. The international community must not allow it to continue,” he added.

The spokesperson said China condemned and opposed acts that harm civilians and damage civilian facilities and violate the international humanitarian law.

“We urge relevant parties to exercise maximum calm and restraint, immediately stop fighting, do everything possible to ensure the safety and security of civilians and hospitals as well as other civilian facilities under the special protection of the Geneva Convention, open up humanitarian aid corridors, and prevent the humanitarian disaster from getting even worse,” he added.

Wang Wenbin said a week ago, the UN General Assembly held an emergency special session and adopted a resolution with an overwhelming majority.

“The resolution calls for an immediate humanitarian truce, demands that all parties immediately and fully comply with their obligations under international law and respect and protect all civilians and civilian objects as well as humanitarian personnel and facilities in accordance with the international humanitarian law, and reaffirms the two-state solution. This resolution reflects the strong call of the international community and where it stands on the issue,” he added.

He said as the current UN Security Council president, China would do its utmost for restoring peace in Palestine, and get the Security Council to fulfill its responsibility, play its role, build up consensus and take prompt, responsible and meaningful action to ease the current crisis and keep civilians safe.

“We will continue working with the rest of the international community and make relentless effort to mediate the conflict, ease tensions and bring the Palestinian question back to the track of the two-state solution,” he added.

According to reports, over the past weekend Israeli forces targeted a convoy of ambulances near Al-Shifa Hospital and hit Al-Maghazi and Al-Shati refugee camps and a UN-run school, Al-Fakhoura school, among other civilian facilities in Gaza Strip. Attacks resulted in heavy casualties, including children. Targeting refugee camps, schools, hospitals clearly violate the Geneva Convention on the protection of civilian persons in time of war.