On Friday, Baghdad hosted its inaugural Arab League Summit where leaders from across the Arab world gathered to find an effective response to Israel-Palestine conflicts that are intensifying. Gaza humanitarian crisis was central to discussions.
Iraq hosted its inaugural high-stakes summit in over a decade on March 18-21st and welcomed heads of state, foreign ministers and diplomats from 22 member nations for this high-profile gathering. Amid mounting casualties and widespread destruction caused by an Israeli military offensive in Gaza, Baghdad was charged with urgency and the call to take decisive action was heard loud and clear.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani made an impassioned plea in his opening remarks for immediate Arab unity to end violence and support Palestinian people. “What’s happening in Gaza is an international humanitarian tragedy we cannot ignore,” he stated, calling on all sides to rise above divisions and work collectively in protecting rights and dignity of Palestinian brothers and sisters.
This summit comes at a time of growing international outrage over Gaza’s worsening situation, according to Palestinian health authorities, in which hundreds have been killed by airstrikes, and essential infrastructure — hospitals, schools and water systems — is on the brink of collapse.
At the summit, leaders from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates made statements echoing calls for an immediate ceasefire and unimpeded humanitarian access into Gaza. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi made specific calls for humanitarian corridors while Jordan’s King Abdullah II warned that further inaction may destabilize the entire region.
“The time for rhetoric has passed,” stated Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan. “This summit must yield tangible, diplomatic, and financial outcomes to foster ceasefire and initiate rebuilding efforts in Gaza.”
The Palestinian delegation led by President Mahmoud Abbas made an emotional appeal, imploring Arab countries to go beyond symbolic support and take tangible measures beyond symbolic. Abbas called for suspension of normalization deals with Israel as well as international war crime investigations to occur simultaneously.
Behind closed doors, discussions focused on creating a joint resolution calling for:
An immediate and unquestionable ceasefire;
Establishment of an Arab humanitarian task force for Gaza;
Increased pressure on international bodies such as the UN and International Criminal Court;
Reaffirmation of support for a two-state solution on pre-1967 borders.
Baghdad serves as a powerful symbol of Iraq’s efforts to play an active role in regional diplomacy after years of internal strife and political isolation.
As the summit continues, observers await the release of a final communique that could shape Arab world policy over the coming weeks. While action are yet to come from Baghdad’s summit, consensus among attendees was clear: Gaza has reached a point of no return, and Arab League must do more than simply talk.