Shafaq News/ On Thursday, a high-ranking government source denied reports of Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shia'a al-Sudani participating in a session with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a recent international summit.

The source described the reports as "misleading" and stated that the Iraqi prime minister did not participate with Netanyahu in any summit sessions.

The source clarified that al-Sudani participated in a "Democracy Delivering Justice for All" session, which included leaders and representatives from eight countries, including the Netherlands, Japan, Uruguay, Gambia, New Guinea, Cape Verde, and Barbados.

The source added that al-Sudani's participation in the session was only after the condition was set that Israel would not be present.

The source further emphasized that Israel's presence in international meetings and conferences in which Iraq has participated for decades, such as meetings of the United Nations General Assembly and climate conferences, is not considered normalization.

The source explained that Iraq's refusal of normalization only pertains to its presence with Israel in a single activity, such as the World Cup or Olympics, and not to its participation in any international forum where Israel is present.

Al-Sudani's participation was at the official invitation of the President of the Summit, US President Joe Biden.

Leaders, heads of state, and representatives from 115 countries worldwide also participated in the summit.

Iraq and Israel have historically been considered enemies. Iraq, as a predominantly Arab and Muslim country, has traditionally aligned with other Arab states and the wider Muslim world in its opposition to Israel, which it sees as an occupying force in Palestine and a threat to regional stability.