Saudi Arabia to host summit on 'Israeli aggression' in Gaza and Lebanon

Kingdom demands an immediate ceasefire as Hezbollah's new leader vows to continue on 'path of war'

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan condemned Israel's actions against the Palestinian people. AP

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Saudi Arabia has called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza at a meeting of a new “global alliance” to press for the establishment of a Palestinian state.

The kingdom also announced a joint Arab-Islamic summit to discuss countering Israeli aggression. It will take place on November 11, a year after a combined summit of the Arab League and Organisation of Islamic Co-operation met in Riyadh on the same topic.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said nearly 90 “states and international organisations” took part in the two-day meeting in Riyadh of the International Alliance to Implement the Two-State Solution, which was unveiled last month on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

“A genocide is happening with the goal of evicting the Palestinian people from their land, which Saudi Arabia rejects,” Prince Faisal said. "The situation in Gaza is tragic due to the Israeli blockade, and international condemnations are no longer enough in the face of the suffering of the Palestinian people."

He described the humanitarian situation as “catastrophic” and denounced the “complete blockade” of northern Gaza.

Saudi Arabia paused US-brokered talks on recognising Israel after the Gaza war broke out between Palestinian militants Hamas and Israel in October last year. In September, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said an “independent Palestinian state” was a condition for normalisation.

Prince Faisal also met the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) Philippe Lazzarini on the sidelines of the alliance meeting, Saudi Arabia's state news agency (SPA) said.

The officials discussed “developments in the Gaza Strip and humanitarian repercussions”, SPA reported. Saudi Arabia has condemned Israel's decision this week to ban UNRWA from operating in occupied Palestine.

The UN Security Council also expressed dismay at Israel's decision, calling on the country to “abide by its international obligations” and “respect the privileges and immunities” of the agency.

“No organisation can replace or substitute UNRWA's capacity and mandate to serve Palestinian refugees and civilians in urgent need of life-saving humanitarian assistance,” the Security Council said in a statement.

Conditions are continuing to worsen in Gaza and Lebanon. The Israeli army began an attack on the Lebanese city of Baalbek on Wednesday after issuing an eviction order for the city and surrounding villages, Baalbek's mayor said. The city was home to 80,000 people before Israel began its onslaught in September.

The unprecedented eviction notice on a whole city in the Bekaa Valley region near Beirut came as Naim Qassem made his first public statement since ascending to the leadership of Hezbollah following the killing of Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli air strike in September.

“We will continue our war plan within the outlined political frameworks, we will remain on the path of war [with Israel],” he said. “We have many sacrifices ahead of us, but we are confident that victory will be ours.”

In Gaza, the city of Beit Lahia and Jabalia town and refugee camp have been all but destroyed by Israeli air strikes, according to the Wafa news agency.