A ceasefire has yet to be reached in war-torn Gaza, after almost 14 months of Israel’s deadly offensive [Getty/file photo]
Kuwait’s ruler on Sunday urged an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, as he addressed a summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council held after nearly 14 months of war in the Palestinian territory.
Emir Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah called on the international community to implement “an immediate ceasefire, providing international protection for innocent civilians and ensuring the opening of safe corridors and the arrival of urgent humanitarian aid“.
The meeting of the six-member GCC comes at a time of acute and ongoing uncertainty for the Middle East following Israel’s military onslaught in the Gaza which began on October 7 last year, which has repeatedly threatened spillover into a wider regional conflagration.
Sheikh Meshal hit out at what he characterised as the “double standards in the application of relevant international laws, charters and resolutions” which he said had undermined “the region’s security and stability”.
He said Kuwait was “optimistic” about a ceasefire agreed between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon that he said would contribute “to reducing escalation in the region”.
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar and other countries also welcomed last week’s a truce after a year of conflict that killed thousands in Lebanon and caused the displacement of over one million people.
Fighting escalated dramatically in September after continuous cross-border strikes, which began one day after Israel’s war in Gaza. A subsequent invasion of southern Lebanon took place in early October.
The Kuwaiti ruler spoke in support of Saudi’s work to form a global body pushing for an independent Palestinian state and lauded “positive and constructive” work by Iran and the GCC.
Saudi Arabia had appeared close to a normalisation deal with Israel prior to October 2023 but Riyadh indicated it was unwilling to move ahead while Israel pursued its campaign in Gaza which has killed more than 44,000, hardening its position in recent months saying it would not recognise Israel without an independent Palestinian state.
Anxious about being drawn into tit-for-tat strikes between Israel and nearby Iran, also precipitated by the military onslaught in Gaza, the wealthy and traditionally western-allied Gulf monarchies have sought to cultivate improved relations with Tehran.
An Israeli air raid on Iran in October was the most recent in a series of retaliatory attacks between the two countries.
