RIYADH (AFP) – Gulf and Southeast Asian leaders yesterday condemned attacks on civilians in the Gaza Strip and called for a permanent ceasefire, according to a statement published after a summit meeting.
The six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the 10-member ASEAN also called for the release of some 200 hostages held by Hamas, as well as the restoration of basic services for Palestinians and the delivery of humanitarian aid, the statement said.
Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas after the group launched an unprecedented raid from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel on October 7, killing at least 1,400 people, according to Israeli officials. Hamas gunmen also kidnapped nearly 200 hostages including foreigners from around two dozen countries ranging from Paraguay to Tanzania.
The Israeli army said yesterday that most of those being held “are alive”.
In response, Israeli war planes have levelled entire city blocks in Gaza in preparation for a ground invasion. More than 3,785 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have died in the bombing, according to the latest toll from the Hamas-run Health Ministry.
“As we gather, we are saddened by the escalating violence that Gaza is witnessing today, the price of which is being paid by innocent civilians,” Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said. “We affirm our categorical rejection of targeting civilians in any way and under any pretext, and the importance of adhering to international humanitarian law and the necessity of stopping military operations against civilians and infrastructure that affect their daily lives.”
“The violence must stop, humanity must be the priority in this moment, and we must prevent things from getting worse,” Indonesian President Joko Widodo said in Riyadh.
