Arab League demands ‘total ceasefire’ ahead of emergency Gaza summit in Saudi Arabia

Ahead of the emergency Arab summit scheduled to be held in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, November 11, the Arab League has demanded total ceasefire in Gaza, according to a statement published by the Arab League.

“Humanitarian truces are not at the core of the Arab position, for the Arab position demands a complete ceasefire,” Arab League spokesperson Hossam Zaki said. The latter added that the humanitarian truces “are an idea that some people talk about to try to deal with the deteriorating humanitarian situation due to the war and Israeli aggression.” He went on to add that the Arab position “is clearly and explicitly based on an immediate ceasefire [in Gaza].”

Preparatory meeting held in Riyadh

On Thursday, a preparatory meeting was held in Riyadh which was presided by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud. He called for an Arab summit to discuss how to stop the the ‘Israeli aggression on Gaza,’ the statement read. In the meeting, scores of Arab leaders will participate and the Arab League will be ‘well represented,’ the statement said. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s office said that he will participate in the summit.

The Arab League comprises of Middle Eastern and African countries and the Palestine Liberation Organization to forge closer political, economic, cultural and social ties among the members. Syria was added as a member this year in May after 11-year long absence. Syria was suspended from the Arab League over the violent antigovernmental protests crackdown by the Bashar al Assad regime.

Israel has refused to succumb to the international pressure for a ceasefire in Gaza, arguing that it will allow the terrorist faction Hamas to regroup and repeat the assault it unfolded on Oct. 7 within Israeli territory. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has joined international calls for an immediate ceasefire that he iterated during the meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. "There will be no ceasefire without the return of the hostages. This should be completely removed from the lexicon,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted. The latter stressed that Israel does not seek to conquer, occupy or govern Gaza after its war against Hamas ends, a ‘credible force’ would be needed to deter the reemergence of terrorism within the enclave.