Palestinian Prisoners Society says at least 350 children remain in detention under harsh conditions.

The summit is expected to adopt a Baku declaration and a statement on cooperation in occupational safety and health.

A lasting solution requires the establishment of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state based on 1967 borders, says Turkish top diplomat Hakan Fidan.

Iran's military has said an oil tanker had caught fire in the Gulf of Oman as it was attempting to pass through an area deemed prohibited, according to state television.

"A few hours ago, surveillance teams of the army's navy identified a non-compliant oil tanker that had caught fire," state television cited a military statement as saying.

"The offending tanker had switched off its tracking systems and was attempting to pass through the prohibited zone," it added.

It was not immediately clear what caused the fire or who was responsible.

The Saudi-led coalition has said that the Houthi militia had attacked Riyadh's airport 20 times in October.

During a presentation in Riyadh covering the strikes, coalition spokesman Turki Al-Malki said: "The Houthis must immediately cease all terrorist operations targeting civilians and civilian facilities, including airports, ports, oil facilities, and infrastructure."

A Saudi foreign ministry official has said the country reached out to the Houthi militia in recent weeks as fighting escalates between the two sides, but the group refused to meet in Oman.

"At the beginning of this escalation, we asked them to meet in Muscat, Oman, and they refused. This was the last communication which happened a few weeks ago," said Dr Rayed Krimly, deputy minister for public diplomacy at the foreign ministry, during a virtual briefing with reporters.

Former US President Barack Obama has criticised Israel’s handling of the Middle East conflict, warning that military strength cannot guarantee lasting security and that refusing concessions to Palestinians risks undermining its moral standing.

The former president made the remarks on Tuesday during a discussion with award-winning writer and journalist Susan McKay in Belfast, Northern Ireland, according to the Belfast Telegraph.

Obama said the violence should “pain everybody”, describing it as a destructive cycle driven by historical grievances, hardened attitudes and deep divisions.

Israel has continued to close the Rafah land crossing for a second week, preventing patients from leaving Gaza for treatment abroad and causing a “dangerous buildup” of critical cases, the Gaza health ministry said.

In a statement, the ministry warned that the continued closure had led to a “dangerous and rapidly growing accumulation of critical cases,” with waiting lists for treatment abroad increasing by the day.

It said the number of people awaiting evacuation far exceeds the capacity of Gaza’s deteriorating and besieged hospitals to accommodate them or provide even the minimum level of treatment.

Iraqi and Saudi officials discussed strengthening security coordination and tightening control over their shared border as part of efforts to address security challenges facing the two countries.

The meeting came a day after Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi held talks in Riyadh with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on regional developments and enhancing security coordination to address common challenges.

During the meeting, Al-Zaidi reaffirmed Iraq’s firm position of “not allowing its territory to be used as a launching point for any attacks or acts that threaten the security of the kingdom and the countries of the region,” according to a statement from his media office.