Saudi crown prince labels Gaza war as 'genocide' at Arab summit, urges immediate ceasefire

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday called Israel's brutal war on the besieged Gaza Strip a "genocide" in the first such declaration by the kingdom's de facto ruler.

His comments came at the joint Arab League and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation summit during which he made calls for immediate ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon.

Opening the summit, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, seen as Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, said the international community must "immediately halt the Israeli actions against our brothers in Palestine and Lebanon".

Saudi Arabia "affirms its support for the brothers in Palestine and Lebanon to overcome the disastrous humanitarian consequences of the ongoing Israeli aggression," he said.

A draft resolution for the summit stresses "firm support" for "national rights" for the Palestinian people, "foremost among which is their right to freedom and an independent, sovereign state".

Just hours earlier, newly appointed Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said it was not "realistic" to establish a Palestinian state, dismissing it as a "Hamas state".

Prince Mohammed also called on Israel not to attack Iran, highlighting improving ties between Saudi Arabia and its former regional rival.

Prior to Israel's war on Gaza, which began in October 2023, there was strong speculation that the Saudi strongman was about to normalise ties with Israel.

Meanwhile, Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati warned that the country was suffering an "existential" crisis and hit out at countries meddling in its internal affairs - a thinly veiled swipe at Iran.

Countries should stop "interfering in its internal affairs by supporting this or that group, but rather support Lebanon as a state and entity," Mikati said.

'Calling out' Israel

The Saudi foreign ministry announced plans for the summit in late October during a meeting, also in Riyadh, of a new "international alliance" to press for the establishment of a Palestinian state.

The summit is being held against the backdrop of chaos and bloodshed in the region as Israel opened a second military front in Lebanon where it says it is fighting Hezbollah.

Israel's war on Gaza has killed more than 43,600 people in Gaza, most of them women and children.

Despite allegations of serious breaches of international law in Israel's war on Gaza and genocide against the Palestinians, outgoing US President Joe Biden has supported Israel throughout one year of devastating and indiscriminate attacks.

In his first term, Trump's actions showed him as an even firmer supporter of Israel. He defied international consensus by recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital and moving Washington's embassy there.

He also endorsed Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, which are illegal under international law.

The 57-member OIC and 22-member Arab League include countries which recognise Israel and those firmly opposed to normalisation of ties with it.

Calls for suspending Israel's UN membership

Speaking at the summit, the Secretary General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit also criticised the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza and Lebanon.

"What is needed is an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon," Aboul Gheit said. "Maybe the newly elected US president, who promised to end the war, can fulfil this promise," he said.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called for the suspension of Israel’s membership in the United Nations if it doesn’t stop its violation of international law and "halt its crimes against the Palestinian people".

Leaders began arriving in Riyadh on Sunday in preparation for the summit that comes one year after a similar gathering in Riyadh of the Cairo-based Arab League and the Jeddah-based Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Agencies contributed to this report.