PGCC, ASEAN Call for Permanent Ceasefire Ahead of Cairo Summit

The PGCC comprises Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, while ASEAN includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Numerous global leaders and officials, with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas among them, have confirmed their participation in Saturday's Cairo peace summit, where discussions will revolve around the Gaza situation and strategies to de-escalate the ongoing conflict, Al Jazeera reported.

Currently, eight countries have officially announced their attendance, including Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Germany, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, and South Africa. European Council President Charles Michel is also expected to join the summit.

In another show of international support for Gaza, individuals from diverse nationalities gathered in Doha to express solidarity with Palestinians and protest Israel's relentless attacks on the besieged enclave.

Following Friday prayers, participants waved flags, held banners, and chanted slogans advocating for a "Free Palestine" and an end to the Israeli occupation.

Yousef Kiblawi, a 49-year-old manager at an oil and gas company in Qatar, expressed his reasons for joining the rally: "We are here today against the atrocities done by Zionists in Gaza and elsewhere in Palestine. They are doing it since 1948, they kicked us out that time and now they are trying to do the same in Gaza."

Sheikh Rahman, a 42-year-old from Bangladesh, attended the protest with his two sons. He emphasized their solidarity with the people of Gaza and their opposition to the atrocities committed by Israel. He urged the international community to intervene, halt the bombings, allow aid to reach Gaza, and put an end to the ongoing crisis initiated by Israel.