Iraqi PM travels to Riyadh for Arab-Islamic summit on Gaza and Lebanon

BAGHDAD – Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani departed Baghdad for Riyadh on Sunday to attend a joint Arab-Islamic summit focused on the ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon. Leaders from across the Arab and Islamic world have begun arriving in Saudi Arabia for the gathering, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

Iraq has consistently condemned Israeli military actions in Gaza and Lebanon, reaffirming its support for the Palestinian cause. Prime Minister Al-Sudani has called for peaceful solutions to the conflict while seeking to prevent Iraq from being drawn into hostilities. Despite this stance, Iran-backed Shia militias operating under the Islamic Resistance in Iraq have launched drone and missile attacks on Israel in solidarity with Palestinian and Lebanese factions.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry announced the summit in late October as a follow-up to the first meeting of an international coalition aimed at advancing a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. According to Saudi authorities, the summit will address “continued Israeli aggression on Palestinian territories and Lebanon” and broader regional developments.

Saudi news outlet Al-Ekhbariya aired footage of Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati arriving in Riyadh. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is also expected to attend, with Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry stating that Sharif plans to advocate for “an immediate end to the genocide in Gaza” and a halt to Israel’s actions.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, citing pressing administrative matters, will not attend but has delegated First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref to represent Iran. Pezeshkian expressed confidence that the summit would deliver “effective, tangible results to end the Zionist regime’s crimes and the bloodshed in Gaza and Lebanon.”

The summit continues the Arab-Islamic dialogue initiated at the Nov. 11, 2023, Riyadh meeting, co-hosted by the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. The event also highlights divisions among member states regarding relations with Israel, with some countries advocating normalization and others opposing regional integration.

The Gaza conflict erupted on Oct. 7, 2023, following a Hamas-led attack that killed 1,206 people and resulted in the abduction of 251 individuals, 97 of whom remain in Gaza. In response, Israel has launched extensive air and ground operations in Gaza, resulting in 43,603 deaths, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, managed by Hamas.