The 34th Arab League Summit kicked off today, Saturday, May 17, 2025, in Baghdad.
It is Iraq’s fourth summit and the first to be held there since 2012.
The talks in the Iraqi capital come only a day after United States President Donald Trump completed his Middle East tour, triggering hopes of a ceasefire and the renewal of aid delivery to Gaza.
The summit also comes amid Iran’s ongoing nuclear talks with the US.
Among the most prominent leaders at the summit were the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
Jordanian Prime Minister, Jaafar Hassan attended on behalf of King Abdullah, while Lebanese Prime Minister, Nawaf Salam represented President Joseph Aoun.
United Nations Chief, Antonio Guterres and Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez were guests at the summit.
Also present at the summit are representatives from several international and regional organizations.
The summit began with a speech by Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al-Zayani.
The Kingdom of Bahrain handed over the presidency of the 34th Arab Summit to Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid, after Bahrain had chaired the 33rd summit.
Speaking at the opening session, Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid condemned “the ongoing Israeli aggression against Gaza.” “We reaffirm our firm stance rejecting all attempts to displace Palestinians from the Gaza Strip under any pretext or circumstances,” Rashid said.
Rashid also emphasized the importance of collective security across the Arab world, saying, “Our shared Arab security cannot be fragmented,” and called on Arab countries to work together to safeguard it.
Gaza Situation Dominates Summit Agenda
Israel’s war on Gaza dominated the talks at the annual summit of the Arab League in Baghdad, alongside other regional crises.
In March, Israel ended a ceasefire reached with Hamas in January, renewing deadly attacks across Gaza and forcing a blockade of food and other essential items. In recent days, Israel has intensified its offensive, as tens of thousands of Palestinians are forced to starve.
In his opening speech, Iraq’s Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said that the genocide in Gaza has reached “a level of ugliness unparalleled in all conflicts in history.”
He asserted that Iraq backs the creation of an “Arab fund to support reconstruction efforts” after crises in the region, adding that Iraq will contribute $20m for the reconstruction of Gaza and another $20m for Lebanon, which has also been in conflict with Israel.
The Arab plan for Gaza proposes rebuilding the Palestinian enclave without displacing its 2.4 million residents.
The Iraqi Prime Minister said that Baghdad rejects “the forced displacement of Palestinians,” calling for an end to “the massacres in Gaza, the attacks on the West Bank and the occupied territories.”
UN Chief, Antonio Guterres made an urgent need for permanent ceasefire, the unconditional release of the hostages and the free flow of humanitarian aid ending the blockade.
Spain’s Sanchez asserted that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza must end “immediately and without delay.”
“Palestine and Spain are working on a new draft to be presented to the United Nations, where we are demanding Israel to end the unjust humanitarian siege laid to Gaza and to allow for the unconditional delivery of relief aid into Gaza.”
Pedro Sanchez
He also said that there must be “more pressure on Israel to end the carnage unfolding in Gaza by all the conceivable means, namely the tools available under the international law.”
“And here, I would like to announce that Spain will present a proposal to the General Assembly for the International Criminal Court to examine Israel’s compliance with the delivery of relief aid into Gaza.”
Pedro Sanchez
Besides Gaza, Arab officials are also expected to discuss Syria.
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