Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, during an Arab League summit in Baghdad, urged increased pressure to halt the "massacre in Gaza." This statement coincided with Israel's announcement of an intensified operation in the besieged Palestinian territory. UN chief Antonio Guterres echoed this sentiment, calling for a "permanent ceasefire, now." Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi appealed to his US counterpart, Donald Trump, to exert all necessary efforts for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

The summit followed a Gulf tour by Trump, whose earlier proposal to have the United States take over Gaza and transform it into the "Riviera of the Middle East" sparked widespread condemnation. Arab leaders responded with an alternative plan to rebuild the territory, formulated at a summit in Cairo in March. Guterres emphasized the rejection of repeated displacement of the Gaza population and any forced displacement outside of Gaza, expressing alarm over reported Israeli plans to expand ground operations.

Israel launched "extensive strikes" as part of the "initial stages" of a fresh offensive, more than 19 months into the war triggered by Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack. Sanchez stated that world leaders should intensify pressure on Israel to halt the massacre in Gaza, utilizing the channels afforded by international law. He announced his government's intention to propose a UN resolution demanding an International Court of Justice ruling on Israel's war methods, citing the "unacceptable number" of war victims in Gaza as a violation of the "principle of humanity."

Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani announced his country's support for the creation of an "Arab fund to support reconstruction efforts" following regional crises, pledging $20 million each for the reconstruction of Gaza and Lebanon. Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein stated that the Baghdad meeting would endorse previous Arab League decisions regarding Gaza's reconstruction, countering Trump's widely condemned proposal.

During his regional visit, Trump reiterated his desire for the United States to "take" Gaza and transform it into a "freedom zone." The summit also addressed the ongoing nuclear talks between Iran and the United States. While Trump initially indicated a deal was "getting close," he later warned of impending negative consequences if Iran did not act swiftly.

Iraq views the summit as an opportunity to project stability after decades of conflict. Baghdad last hosted an Arab League summit in 2012, during the early stages of the Syrian civil war, which saw a change of power in December with the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad. Trump met with Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Riyadh; Sharaa, whose past includes imprisonment in Iraq on charges related to Al-Qaeda, was not present at the Baghdad summit due to opposition from Iraqi politicians. Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani represented Damascus instead.