Riyadh conference slams IS, Israeli terror

September 17, 2014

Riyadh, Sep 17: Delegates at a conference here have slammed the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group for its violent actions in the Middle East, and lambasted Israel for continuing to oppress the Palestinians.

Prince Abdulaziz bin Abdullah, deputy foreign minister, opened the two-day conference on “Arabian Gulf and Regional Challenges” in Riyadh on Tuesday.

Prince Abdulaziz denounced IS terrorism in Iraq and Israeli extremism in Gaza. Addressing the inaugural session, he asked the international media to refrain from relating IS with Islam or calling it Islamic State.

Referring to the organization by its previous name, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), he said: “ISIS does not represent Islam. There is no place for violence in Islam, a religion of peace spread the world over by Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.”

In his welcome address on behalf of Prince Saud Al-Faisal, minister of foreign affairs, Prince Abdulaziz said that “our region is witnessing unprecedented disturbances.”

He accused the Israeli government of committing crimes against humanity in Gaza. He said that events in Syria, Iraq and Yemen have negatively affected the region.

Prince Abdulaziz said the Kingdom has donated $500 million for victims of violence in Iraq and help displaced people get access to electricity, water and sanitation. In addition, the Kingdom has also given a grant of $114 million for development projects in Yemen.

He said that international efforts must continue to curtail Iran’s nuclear ambitions, which is essential for a peaceful Middle East.

Addressing the brainstorming session on regional changes, Anwar M. Gargash, minister of state for foreign affairs, United Arab Emirates, echoed the sentiments expressed by Prince Abdulaziz.

“We Gulf Cooperation Council representatives are here today to highlight our resolve and commitment to stability and security in the region, and readiness to support moderation and tolerance.”

Speaking at the first session, Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani, the GCC secretary general, highlighted peace, prosperity and security issues. Referring to displaced people in Palestine, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, he said a comprehensive plan is required to end their suffering.

Addressing the second session on Gulf security, Jamal Al-Salal, Yemeni minister of foreign affairs, said: “The crisis in Yemen has been complicated by the involvement of Al-Qaeda and Ansarullah, and the country faces severe security challenges.”

Saeb Erekat, chief negotiator for Palestine, lambasted America and other Western countries for supporting Israel’s violence in occupied territory. Erekat also accused the media of anti-Islam bias. He said that when Jewish people kill innocents in Hebron, they do not term it “Jewish terror,” or US soldiers recently killing 29 people as “Christian terror.”

He also criticized US President Barack Obama for refusing to consider Israeli action in Gaza as war crimes.

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UN condemns Israeli regime’s ‘organized torture’ against Palestinians

News Network

November 30,2025

The United Nations Committee against Torture (CAT) has condemned the Israeli regime for enforcing a policy of “organized torture” against Palestinians.

In a report published on Friday, CAT stated that the occupying regime enforces a deliberate policy of “organized and widespread torture and ill-treatment” against Palestinian abductees, particularly since October 7, 2023, when Israel launched its genocidal war on Gaza.

The committee expressed “deep concern over repeated severe beatings, dog attacks, electrocution, water-boarding, use of prolonged stress positions [and] sexual violence” inflicted on Palestinians.

Palestinian prisoners were degraded by “being made to act like animals or being urinated on,” systematically denied medical care, and subjected to excessive restraints, “in some cases resulting in amputation,” the report added.

CAT also condemned the routine application of “unlawful combatants law” to justify the prolonged detention without trial of thousands of Palestinian men, women, and children.

More than 10,000 Palestinians, including women and children, are currently held in Israeli prisons, according to Palestinian and international human rights groups, with 3,474 Palestinians in “administrative detention,” meaning they are imprisoned without trial for indefinite periods.

The report highlighted the “high proportion of children who are currently detained without charge or on remand,” noting that while Israel sets the age of criminal responsibility at 12, even younger children have been abducted.

Children designated as security prisoners face severe restrictions on family contact, may be subjected to solitary confinement, and are denied access to education, in clear violation of international law.

The committee further suggested that Israel’s policies across the Occupied Territories constitute collective torture against the Palestinian population.

“A range of policies adopted by Israel in the course of its continued unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory amounts to cruel, inhuman or degrading living conditions for the Palestinian population,” the report said.

On Thursday, the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas condemned the systematic killing and torture of Palestinian abductees in Israeli prisons, urging international action to halt these abuses.

Citing human rights data, Hamas stated that 94 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli prisons since the start of Tel Aviv’s genocidal war on Gaza.

“This reflects an organized criminal approach that has turned these prisons into direct killing grounds to eliminate our people,” the resistance movement said.

Hamas called on the international community, the UN, and human rights organizations to immediately pressure Israel to end crimes against prisoners and uphold their rights as guaranteed by all international conventions and norms.

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