Doha GCC Summit: Gaza Conflict Dominates Agenda, Turkey-GCC Ties In Focus

The 44th Gulf Cooperation Council Summit on Tuesday convened heads of state and senior officials from multiple nations in the region. It reiterated strong denunciation of the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, affirming full support to “the brotherly people of Palestine.”

Leaders of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar discussed the critical and dangerous challenges facing the region. The Doha Declaration reaffirmed commitment to “the noble goals on which the GCC has been based since its founding in 1981.”

Participants appreciated the joint mediation efforts of Qatar, Egypt and the US, that resulted in reaching an agreement for a humanitarian ceasefire. The days-long pause saw aid entering Gaza, with Hamas releasing hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

They stressed the need for an immediate truce to ensure the delivery of all humanitarian supplies and basic needs, and the resumption of electricity, fuel and water supplies to the residents of the besieged Palestinian enclave.

Netanyahu “Pushing The Entire Region Into Danger”

The leaders of the GCC nations called on the international community to step in to shield the Palestinian civilians from harm, and take the necessary measures to respond to Israel’s policy of collective punishment against the defenceless Gazans.

The council reiterated its demand for an end to the occupation of Palestine, and its support for the sovereignty of the Palestinian people over all the occupied territories. The representatives of the six Gulf nations were joined by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

He went on to condemn Israel’s continued bombardment of the Gaza Strip since Hamas’ surprise October 7 attack, adding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “is pushing the entire region into danger for the sake of his political future.”

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Erdogan affirmed the continuous development of relations between his country and the GCC nations, noting Turkey’s great interest in bolstering cooperation with the Council, expanding business and establishing partnerships in different fields.