A coalition of Arab and Muslim nations asserts that Israel’s bombing of the Gaza Strip cannot be justified as an act of self-defence. In the joint declaration issued by the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), member countries condemn what they describe as “Israeli aggression in Gaza, war crimes, and barbaric and inhumane slaughter.” The statement calls for an end to the “siege of Gaza.”

The Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip commenced on October 7 in response to an unprecedented surprise attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Israel argues that its actions are in self-defence, citing the need to eliminate the threat of future attacks by Hamas.

However, the Arab and Muslim nations, meeting in Saudi Arabia, reject this justification, emphasizing the unacceptable number of civilian casualties resulting from the airstrikes. They appeal to the international community to halt arms exports to Israel and advocate for increased humanitarian aid access to Gaza.

Key figures attending the talks in Riyadh included Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. Notably, this marked Raisi’s first visit to Saudi Arabia since the two countries restored diplomatic ties earlier this year.

London Witnesses Massive Pro-Palestinian Gathering with 300,000 Participants

The police report a staggering turnout of three hundred thousand participants at a pro-Palestinian demonstration in London. This weekly gathering, which had sparked controversy in anticipation, coincides with the United Kingdom’s commemoration of the victims of the First World War. Notably, there were tens of thousands of Pro-Palestine protesters in London just last week. Today’s event led to the arrest of 82 protesters.

Simultaneously, Brussels saw its streets filled with demonstrators as the ‘European March for Palestine’ attracted 21 thousand participants, as reported by the local police to the Belga news agency. The march commenced at 2 p.m. from Brussels North station, weaving its way through the city. The organizers are urging the European Union to advocate for a ceasefire, initiate an International Criminal Court investigation into “the situation in Palestine,” and take measures against the Israeli occupation of the West Bank.