RIYADH, Oct 18 — The brutality of the Israeli crackdown on Palestinians in Gaza is among the main agendas that will be discussed by leaders at the Asean and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit here on Friday.

The discussion aligns with Malaysia’s firm stance and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s vocal support for Palestine following Israel’s increased oppression against the Palestinians, including the recent attacks and clashes in the Gaza Strip.

The clashes in Palestine between Hamas, the governing authority in Gaza, and the Israeli regime since October 7 have left thousands dead and injured on both sides.

Hence, the summit, with the presence of leaders from the Asean-GCC regional bloc, has been seen as the best platform to address and seek collective solutions to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people.

The summit is the first to be held since the establishment of Asean and GCC relations in 1990. GCC consists of six countries, namely Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

It is also expected to discuss the current and future direction of Asean-GCC relations in line with Asean’s desire to broaden its ties with countries in West Asia, including in economic and energy cooperation.

Apart from Anwar, other Asean leaders who have confirmed their attendance at the summit are Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet.

Anwar, who is scheduled to arrive here tomorrow, will also hold discussions related to investments with several firms and meet with Malaysian nationals living and working in Riyadh.

He is also scheduled to meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Saturday to further discuss the Palestinian issue and bilateral relations.

Anwar will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir and Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Khairul Firdaus Akhbar Khan.

Meanwhile, Riyadh Daily reported that the Ministerial Council of the GCC had held an extraordinary session to discuss the developments in Gaza and its surroundings.

The meeting was chaired by Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamoud Al Busaidi, who is also Chairman of the council’s current session, with the participation of the GCC foreign ministers and GCC secretary-general Jassim Albudaiwi.

The Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah also participated in the 43rd session.

The Anadolu Agency also reported that the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which convened in Jeddah, strongly condemned Israel’s attacks on the Arab Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza and called on the international community, particularly the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), to immediately intervene to stop these war crimes and provide international protection for the Palestinian people. — Bernama