Live updates: Israel says it will take control of Gaza City, escalating war in the devastated enclave
Saudi Arabia said it “condemns in the strongest and most severe terms” Israel’s decision to occupy the Gaza Strip.
In a statement today, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs also denounced the “starvation, brutal practices, and ethic cleansing” of Palestinian people in Gaza.
The kingdom warned that the “continued failure” of the international community and United Nations Security Council to “halt Israeli aggressions and violations” threatens regional and global peace and “portends dire consequences” including genocide and forced displacement.
The kingdom also called for a two-state solution and establishing a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with east Jerusalem as its capital, which has been its longstanding position.
Saudi Arabia, the home of Islam’s two holiest sites and the most powerful nation in the Arab world, has long publicly championed the Palestinian cause. Behind the scenes, though, it has moderated its stance on Israel, and before the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks, was considered to be close to normalizing relations with Israel.
After the attacks and Israel launched its war in Gaza, it backed off these plans as public outrage at the conflict’s impact on Palestinians grew.
