Reflecting on the ongoing Middle East crisis, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu called on world leaders yesterday to work together to bring peace to the region through coordinated efforts.
He stated that the Israeli-Gaza conflict would subside if the international community took decisive actions beyond mere empty condemnations.
President Tinubu emphasized that the challenges in these conflict zones have created a moral obligation to seek lasting solutions to the prolonged war.
Speaking at an extraordinary Arab-Islamic Summit in Riyadh the President called on the international community to take concrete steps to stop what he described as “Israeli aggression” against the people of Gaza.
The one-day summit was a follow-up to the Riyadh Summit last year. It was attended by Heads of State and Government of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the League of Arab States.
Highlighting the prolonged suffering of Palestinians, President Tinubu emphasized that the crisis has inflicted immeasurable harm on innocent lives.
He said the scenario had imposed a shared responsibility on nations that champion justice and human dignity.
Quoting President Tinubu, his spokesman Bayo Onanuga, said leaders have a moral duty to seek a swift and sustainable resolution to the conflict in a way that upholds the sanctity of human life and humanitarian values.
Tinubu stressed that the time for empty condemnations had passed, insisting that only meaningful and coordinated action could bring lasting peace to the region.
He condemned the military, political, or security objectives that prioritize strategic gains at the expense of civilian safety, urging world leaders to reject approaches that lead to widespread human suffering.
Reiterating Nigeria’s call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, President Tinubu affirmed the country’s support for a two-state solution, where both Israelis and Palestinians can co-exist in security and dignity.
He described the solution as a viable path to lasting peace in the region.
President Tinubu said: ‘’The conflict in Palestine has persisted for far too long, inflicting immeasurable suffering on countless lives.
‘’As representatives of nations that value justice, dignity, and the sanctity of human life, we have a moral obligation to collectively bring about an immediate end to this conflict.
‘’It is not enough to issue empty condemnations. The world must work towards an end to Israeli aggression in Gaza, which has persisted for far too long. No political aim, no military strategy, and no security concern should come at the expense of so many innocent lives.”
President Tinubu urged parties in the conflict in the Middle East to respect the principles of proportionality and the basic rights of civilians, which are consistent with global legal and diplomatic frameworks.
He added: ‘’In a rules-based international order, States have the right of self-defense. But self-defense must take proportionality into account, in line with global legal, diplomatic – and moral – frameworks.
‘’An entire civilian population, their dreams and futures, cannot be dismissed as collateral,’’ he said.
Explaining Nigeria’s principled and consistent stance on the two-state solution, President Tinubu described it as a beacon of hope, representing the rights of both Israelis and Palestinians to self-determination and peace.
He stressed: ‘’It is not just a diplomatic article of faith; it is a vision grounded in the principles of equality and mutual recognition.
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