Baghdad, May 17 – Emotions ran high at this year’s Arab League summit in Baghdad as leaders from across the region came together with a shared message of humanity, solidarity, and urgency. With the Gaza Strip still under siege and its people enduring unimaginable hardship, the summit was a powerful call to end the bloodshed and begin the work of rebuilding shattered lives.
From Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, leaders expressed both grief and determination. El-Sissi captured the spirit of the gathering when he said, “Even if normalization with Israel continues, there will never be lasting peace without justice for Palestine.” His words echoed around the hall as a reminder that peace is more than diplomacy—it’s dignity.
The summit’s message was clear: stop the violence, let the aid in, and commit to rebuilding Gaza—without preconditions and without displacing its people. The Arab leaders pledged financial support and called for an international peace conference that would finally make a two-state solution a reality.
Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani delivered one of the most moving addresses, calling the situation in Gaza a genocide and pledging $20 million for Gaza’s reconstruction. “This suffering must end,” he said. “Our humanity demands it.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres also stood firm against the forced displacement of Palestinians, while Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez lent European weight to the humanitarian pleas.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas urged Hamas to relinquish control of Gaza, pushing for unity among Palestinians to help end internal divisions that have long paralyzed their cause.
The summit wasn’t without political friction. Syria’s absence—at least in the form of its new president, Ahmad al-Sharaa—was noticeable, and his controversial past kept tensions high behind the scenes. Still, leaders agreed to support Syria’s territorial unity and condemned Israeli military actions in Syria as destabilizing.
While US President Donald Trump’s recent regional tour grabbed headlines, his visit brought little peace. Instead, Arab leaders focused on what truly mattered—ending the suffering, opening humanitarian corridors, and holding onto hope.
As the summit closed, the final joint statement, read by Iraqi Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein, was simple but powerful:
“We demand an immediate end to Israeli aggression on Gaza. The suffering must stop. Aid must flow. Peace must begin.”
In a world torn by politics and conflict, Baghdad’s summit was a rare moment of clarity—an emotional, united cry for peace, humanity, and a better tomorrow for Gaza.
