Saudi Arabia is convening summits with Arab leaders and Iran’s president this weekend to address the ongoing Gaza war, sparking concerns about regional escalation.
The Arab League and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) emergency meetings follow a month of Israeli bombardment, resulting in over 10,000 deaths in Gaza.
Amid Israel’s refusal for a ceasefire until Hamas releases captives, Saudi Arabia expresses anger over the Palestinian death toll, fearing regional destabilization and potential obstacles to economic transition.
Elham Fakhro of Chatham House notes, “Saudi Arabia and its neighbours are ‘united in fearing one thing in particular, which is a broader escalation.'”
In 2020, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain normalized relations with Israel; Saudi Arabia contemplates a similar move, aligning with the United States on security matters. Fakhro highlights concerns about being targeted by Iranian proxy groups seeking retaliation.
Saudi analysts urge the Arab League meeting to surpass condemning attacks on Gaza civilians, uncertain about the bloc’s impact on events.
Sulaiman al-Oqaily said, “This [Arab League] meeting will be a success if it leads to any framework to pressure Israel to stop the war. Otherwise, it will not be a success.”
The critical need emphasized is to halt the ongoing war.