By Gozde Bayar

ANKARA (AA) – Nuclear weapons, whose existence is acknowledged by Israeli ministers, should be investigated, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday.

Speaking at an emergency joint Arab-Islamic summit in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, Erdogan said, “The issue of nuclear weapons, the existence of which was admitted by Israeli ministers, should be investigated. If there are nuclear bombs smuggled out of the control of the International Atomic Energy Agency, they must be revealed."

Regarding the cease-fire calls and permanent peace in the region, Erdogan said: “We are ready to make the necessary efforts, including as a guarantor, to preserve the peace that will be established.”

The Israeli administration, which acts like the “spoiled child of the West,” is obliged to compensate for the damage it has caused, he added.

“Jerusalem is our red line. It is our wish that Jerusalem, known as the city of peace, and all Palestinian lands return to their old times,” he noted.

Minister for Heritage Amihai Eliyahu, a member of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, had told Israeli media on Sunday that dropping a "nuclear bomb" on the Gaza Strip was "an option." Israel has long refused to publicly acknowledge whether it possesses nuclear arms.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had distanced himself from the statement and, according to media reports, suspended Eliyahu from Cabinet meetings until further notice.

The oil-rich kingdom is hosting a joint summit of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Representatives of the Islamic world will exchange ideas about concrete steps to be taken regarding the recent developments.

Israel has launched relentless air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip – including hospitals, residences, and houses of worship – since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas on Oct. 7.

At least 11,078 Palestinians have been killed, including 4,506 children and 3,027 women. The Israeli death toll, meanwhile, is around 1,200, according to official figures.