“We must work to end this crisis and end this war on Gaza as soon as possible,” Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said.
Ministers from Arab and Muslim-majority countries will visit China on Monday as part of a tour aimed at ending Israel’s war in Gaza, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said on Saturday.
“The first stop will be in China and will then move to a number of capitals to deliver the clear message that there must be a ceasefire immediately as well as aid and humanitarian needs must be immediately delivered to Gaza,” the Kingdom’s top diplomat said in a post shared on social media platform X.
Prince Faisal made the comments after a meeting with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on the sidelines of the Manama Dialogue 2023 conference in Bahrain.
Foreign Minister HH Prince @FaisalbinFarhan announces the start of the work of the ministerial committee in charge of the Arab-Islamic summit concerned with formulating an international action to stop the war on Gaza and the first stop is China. pic.twitter.com/Wn9rxZNsUE
— Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 (@KSAmofaEN) November 18, 2023
“We must work to end this crisis and end this war on Gaza as soon as possible,” Prince Faisal added.
According to the Saudi Gazette, the extraordinary joint Arab-Islamic Summit, which was held in Riyadh last week, issued a resolution tasking the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Qatar, Turkiye, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Palestine to initiate immediate international action on behalf of all member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab League.
“The goal is to formulate an international initiative to halt the war in Gaza and push for a genuine and serious political process, leading to a permanent and comprehensive peace in accordance with established international references,” the report said.
The forthcoming meeting in Beijing was confirmed on Sunday by China’s state broadcaster CCTV, citing the country’s foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning.
Israeli airstrikes continued overnight throughout the besieged Gaza Strip, claiming more Palestinian lives in Nuseirat and Khan Yunis.https://t.co/qXRukUDtJq pic.twitter.com/PlCOaLbrQH
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) November 19, 2023
“During the visit, China will have in-depth communication and coordination with the delegation on ways to deescalate the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict, protect civilians and seek a just settlement of the Palestinian question,” said Mao.
In May, a poll conducted for Arab News by Yougov found that the majority of Palestinian respondents – 80 percent, preferred China as a potential peace broker in the conflict with the occupation state, with the US seen as the least trusted mediator.
At least 31 Palestinians were killed when Israel targeted Palestinian homes in the central Gaza Strip overnight. Two others were killed in Khan Yunis and four premature babies were also declared dead in the Al-Shifa Hospital. https://t.co/JXkQLwIAUt pic.twitter.com/KpbDzbwZpl
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) November 19, 2023
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, Israel has, thus far, killed 12,300 Palestinians, including over 5,000 children and over 3,300 women.
The Israeli army continues to pound civilian homes throughout the Gaza Strip with new massacres reported everywhere in the besieged enclave.
(PC, MEMO)
