Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE's Vice-President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Presidential Affairs, alongside Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, attended the 45th Gulf Cooperation Council meeting in Kuwait City on Sunday.— AFP
Kuwait's ruler, Emir Sheikh Meshal Al Ahmad Al Sabah, called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza during his address at the Gulf Cooperation Council summit, which took place after nearly 14 months of conflict in the Palestinian territory. Sheikh Meshal urged the international community to enforce 'an immediate ceasefire, providing international protection for innocent civilians and ensuring the opening of safe corridors and the arrival of urgent humanitarian aid.'
The six-member GCC convened amid heightened and persistent uncertainty in the Middle East, sparked by Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza, which has posed a constant threat of escalating into a broader regional conflict. Sheikh Meshal criticized what he described as 'double standards in the application of relevant international laws, charters, and resolutions,' asserting that these had compromised 'the region's security and stability.'
He expressed Kuwait's 'optimism' regarding a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, which he believed would help 'reduce escalation in the region.' Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, and other nations also welcomed last week's truce, marking an end to a year of conflict that claimed thousands of lives in Lebanon and led to mass displacement on both sides of the border.
Fighting intensified in September following continuous cross-border strikes, initiated by Hezbollah in support of Hamas. The Kuwaiti ruler voiced support for Saudi Arabia's efforts to establish a global body advocating for an independent Palestinian state and praised the 'positive and constructive' work of Iran and the GCC.
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