Arab and Islamic leaders and heads of state called for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, in speeches delivered during the Joint Arab Islamic Summit that began its work today, Saturday, in Riyadh.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called for providing humanitarian corridors for civilians in the Gaza Strip and an immediate stop to the "military operations."

Prince Mohammed bin Salman also affirmed his country's "categorical rejection of the aggression against Gaza and its categorical rejection of the fierce war faced by the brothers in Palestine," and called for the necessity of "opening humanitarian corridors to immediately relieve the residents of the Strip."

The emergency Joint Arab Islamic Summit began today, Saturday, in Riyadh, to discuss the developments witnessed in Gaza and the Palestinian territories and the Israeli war on Gaza, which entered its 36th day.

In his speech, Jordanian King Abdullah II demanded that humanitarian corridors in Gaza remain safe and open to deliver aid permanently, stressing that "Israel preventing the entry of water, food, and medicine to the residents of Gaza is a war crime," and that "the world will pay the price of failure to resolve the Palestinian issue."

For his part, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that the occupation forces began an unprecedented genocide war against the Palestinian people and crossed all red lines," accusing "the occupation authorities and those who support them of bearing responsibility for killing every child and woman in this unjust war."

The Palestinian president said that "the United States, with its full support for the occupation, bears responsibility for the failure to reach a political solution to the crisis," and called for "international protection and adopting a solution implemented according to international legitimacy and the Arab initiative."

Meanwhile, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi condemned "the killing of civilians," stressing that "the policy of collective punishment of the people of Gaza is unacceptable," and called for "an immediate ceasefire unconditionally, and the prevention of the displacement of Palestinians outside their land."

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that "73% of those who lost their lives in Gaza and the West Bank are women and children, and this madness cannot be understood," adding that "Israel is trying to take revenge for the events of October 7 by killing the innocent, children, and women."

He also added: "We saw mothers embracing their children who had passed away and fathers searching for their family members among the rubble and debris," adding that "words are powerless to describe what is happening in Gaza and the brutal targeting of hospitals, places of worship, and schools."

In his speech, the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said that "the international community has failed to take measures that would stop the massacres and put an end to this aggressive war," adding, "We noticed before the war an increased immunity of some countries toward killing civilians and bombing hospitals and shelters."

Before the summit, foreign ministers of Arab and Islamic countries held their preparatory ministerial meeting for the summit in Riyadh with the aim of "reaching consensus on the draft final statement of the summit on the collective unified Arab and Islamic stance," according to what was reported by the Egyptian news agency.

For his part, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi called for a historic and decisive decision regarding what is happening in the Palestinian territories, saying: "We want to make a historic and decisive decision regarding what is happening in the Palestinian territories... The Organization of Islamic Cooperation should play a correct role embodying the meanings of unity and harmony, and we are meeting today on behalf of the Islamic Ummah to aid the Palestinian people today is a historic day to defend Al-Aqsa Mosque."

He highlighted that the mass demonstrations worldwide confirm that defending Palestine is in the conscience of the peoples and that Gaza has become the largest prison in the world due to the siege imposed by the occupation, which violates international law with its comprehensive attack on Gaza. He continued: "We have a responsibility before God regarding what is happening in Gaza; everyone today must determine which side they stand on."

In his speech, Kuwaiti Crown Prince Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah stressed that "Israel's crimes in Gaza foreshadow negative repercussions on the security and stability of the region and the entire world."

He said: "Israel is practicing collective punishment that cannot be justified in any way, and this tragedy is a result of the international community’s failure to find a permanent solution to the Palestinian issue."

He also expressed his country's rejection of the forced displacement of the Palestinian people, calling for a humanitarian truce in the Strip.

The Kuwaiti Crown Prince also called for establishing peace in the region through a comprehensive and final solution to the Palestinian issue. He said: "The Palestinian issue tops the agenda of Kuwait’s foreign policy.. and we demand a Palestinian state on the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital."