Joint Arab-Islamic summit calls for arms embargo on Israel amid Gaza conflict

Shafaq News / The final statement of the extraordinary Islamic Arab summit held in Riyadh on Saturday called on all countries to halt the export of weapons and ammunition to Israel in light of the war in Gaza.

The summit's concluding statement, "condemned the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and the heinous, savage, and inhumane war crimes and massacres committed by Israel."

The statement rejected describing "this retaliatory war in self-defense or justifying it under any pretext."

The statement called for "breaking the siege on Gaza and ensuring the entry of Arab, Islamic, and international humanitarian aid convoys."

Israel and its main ally, the United States, continue to reject calls for a ceasefire, a position strongly criticized during Saturday's summit.

The Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation were originally scheduled to hold two separate summits, but the Saudi Foreign Ministry announced early Saturday the holding of an "exceptional joint Arab-Islamic summit."

The Ministry stated on X platform that the decision to merge the two summits came "in recognition by the leaders of all countries of the importance of unifying efforts and presenting a unified collective position expressing the joint Arab-Islamic will."

The emergency meetings of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation come amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas Movement in the Gaza Strip following an unprecedented attack by the movement on October 7, according to Israel, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 people and the kidnapping of 239 hostages.

The intensive bombing campaign and the Israeli ground assault since then have led to the deaths of more than 11,078 people, including over 4,506 children, according to the latest toll announced by the health ministry affiliated with the Hamas on Friday.