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The 34th Arab League Summit opened in Baghdad on Saturday amid escalating violence in Gaza, with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and multiple world leaders calling for an immediate ceasefire and increased humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territories.
The summit, which follows U.S. President Donald Trump's recent Middle East tour, has placed the Gaza crisis at the center of discussions as Israeli military operations intensify across the Palestinian enclave.
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U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres delivered a pointed address at the summit, stating that "the region and the world face major tests, starting with Gaza. Nothing can justify the collective suffering of the Palestinian people."
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, attending as a guest, offered one of the most forceful condemnations: "Palestine is bleeding before our eyes, it is impossible to turn a blind eye to what is happening in Gaza. The basic principles of international law are clearly being violated and the tragedy has reached unacceptable proportions. The international community must now take action."
Sanchez called for "increasing pressure on the occupying party to stop the massacre in Gaza, proceeding on the path of political solution, and taking concrete steps for lasting peace."
In a related development, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on Hamas to relinquish control in Gaza and surrender their weapons to the Palestinian Authority.
"We call on Hamas to relinquish control in Gaza and for all groups to hand over their weapons to the (Palestinian) administration," Abbas said during his address. He also proposed "an international conference in Cairo for financing and implementing the reconstruction plan for the Gaza Strip."
Abbas emphasized that the Palestinian issue faces existential threats, describing the situation in Gaza as "genocide" and West Bank settlements as "a colonization project." He called for a political process to implement a two-state solution and requested funding for reform and development programs in the West Bank and Jerusalem.
"We want one system, one law and one army," Abbas stated, adding that the Palestinian leadership is prepared to hold presidential and parliamentary elections next year if necessary conditions are met in the West Bank, Gaza, and Jerusalem.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, hosting the summit, announced that Iraq would provide $20 million for Gaza's reconstruction and another $20 million for Lebanon.
"The crises and conflicts in the region will only end when the Palestinian people gain their right to live with dignity and freedom on their own land," Sudani said. "This genocide has reached a level of ugliness not seen in any conflict in history. We have all witnessed scenes of hundreds of children lining up for a piece of bread."
Sudani also welcomed the U.S. decision to lift sanctions on Syria, expressing hope it would alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people.
Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit condemned "the silence of the international community in the face of the killing of Palestinian children and civilians in plain sight," while expressing appreciation for Egyptian and Qatari efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza.
Aboul Gheit also addressed the situation in Syria, saying, "Syria is undergoing a major test on the road to building a new state. The Arab League will stand by the Syrian people as they overcome this complex process."
The Palestinian government in Gaza issued a statement calling on Arab leaders "to urgently assume their historical and moral responsibilities and take practical and bold positions to break the cruel blockade on the Gaza Strip and stop the genocide and daily killings."
The statement held both Israel and U.S. President Donald Trump responsible for the starvation of Palestinians and the siege of border crossings, describing Trump's recent statements on Gaza as "a waste of time" with "no tangible effect on the ground."
The summit continues amid Israeli military operations that have claimed more than 400 Palestinian lives in the past three days, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, and as Israel launches a new offensive called "Gideon's Chariots" in Gaza.
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