"Killing babies is unacceptable, Uzbekistan stands with Palestinian people" — Abdulla Aripov

The situation in the Gaza Strip was discussed at the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit in Saudi Arabia on November 11. The Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Abdulla Aripov, who participated in it, called on the conflicting parties to reach a compromise.

"Today's summit of the organization, which includes 57 countries with nearly 1.5 billion people, is of particular importance. It is a confirmation of how strong the values that bind us are.

This is the first time in the 50-year history of conflict in the Middle East that the scale of destruction has reached this far. The saddest thing is that there is no end in sight to this crisis. We cannot just sit and silently watch it. Uzbekistan is taking appropriate diplomatic measures in this regard," Aripov said.

According to Abdulla Aripov, Uzbekistan allocated $1.5 million to provide humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and voted in favor of the UN General Assembly resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in the region. Also, he added that the President of Uzbekistan had touched upon this issue at two international summits.

"The losses caused by the bloody clashes in the Gaza Strip cannot be compared to anything. We say killing babies is unacceptable. We express our sincere condolences to the families of the victims and declare once again that we are with the Palestinian people," said Aripov.

He also called on all members to mobilize their capacities to ensure the inviolability of Al-Aqsa Mosque and other holy places in Jerusalem.

"Uzbekistan supports the right of Palestine to establish its independent state in accordance with international standards. Life itself proves that the conflict can be resolved only on the basis of the principle of two states for two nations.

If the violence escalates, it will inevitably lead to a large-scale destabilization of the international situation and the involvement of new forces in armed conflicts. All this can lead to unpredictable tragedies, which are not limited to the Middle East region.

The most dangerous thing is that this conflict can be followed by a war between religions and civilizations, which cannot be allowed at all. That is why we call on the parties to compromise on humanitarian issues, stop hostilities, and resolve the conflict through diplomatic means," said the Prime Minister of Uzbekistan.