Gulf, Asian nations end summit with call for cease-fire

Saudi Arabia — Arab Gulf and southeast Asian nations called Friday for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war and the entry of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

The final statement of a summit hosted by Saudi Arabia also condemned “all attacks against civilians.”

The joint summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations brought together 16 member states.

Saudi Arabia, which has launched a number of diplomatic initiatives across the Middle East over the past year, has called for a halt to the fighting.

Before the outbreak of the war, the kingdom had been in talks with the United States on normalizing relations with Israel in exchange for a U.S. defense pact, help in establishing a civilian nuclear program and unspecified concessions to the Palestinians.