Gulf Cooperation Council affirms support for Lebanon, calls for immediate ceasefire in Gaza

The Gulf Cooperation Council affirmed its support for Lebanon during such a "critical stage" and called for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the council said late on Wednesday after holding an extraordinary ministerial meeting in Doha.

The meeting was held to discuss the latest regional developments.

The council also condemned the escalation of conflict in Lebanon and the occupied Palestinian territories, calling on all involved parties to exercise self-restraint and refrain from violence, it added in a statement.

More than 1,900 people have been killed and over 9,000 wounded in Lebanon in almost a year of cross-border fighting between Israel and Iranian-backed Hezbollah, with most of the deaths occurring in the past two weeks, according to Lebanese government statistics.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military offensive in Gaza has killed more than 41,000 Palestinians since Oct. 7, when Hamas gunmen led an incursion into Israel, killing around 1,200 people and abducting about 250 hostages, according to Israel and Gaza health authorities.