Saudi Arabia has strongly criticized Israel for the displacement ofPalestinians from Gaza and the attacks on “defenceless civilians,” in thekingdom’s most scathing condemnation since the outbreak of the recentconflict.
And as per AFP sources, Saudi Arabia has also paused talks on normalisationwith Israel.
Riyadh “affirms its categorical rejection of calls for the forceddisplacement of the Palestinian people from Gaza, and its condemnation ofthe continued targeting of defenceless civilians there”, the kingdom’sforeign ministry said in a statement.
Thousands of Palestinians sought refuge in southern Gaza following Israel’scall for over a million to evacuate the northern part of the besiegedenclave in anticipation of an imminent ground offensive.
The Saudi statement, denouncing the actions in Gaza, coincided with thearrival of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Riyadh as part of hissix-nation tour of Arab countries. The visit comes amid continued Israelistrikes on Gaza in retaliation for a surprise weekend attack by Hamas,which has been deemed the deadliest in Israel’s history.
The ongoing war has complicated efforts by the Biden administration tofoster normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia, a significant playerin the region and the home of Islam’s two holiest sites.
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Saudi Arabia, historically not recognizing Israel, has issued multiplestatements in the past week reaffirming its support for the Palestiniancause.
In a notable development, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman engaged ina discussion with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on the “current militarysituation in Gaza and its environs”.
This conversation follows a surprise China-brokered rapprochement betweenSaudi Arabia and Iran in March, marking the first call between the twoleaders since the diplomatic breakthrough.
Friday’s Saudi foreign ministry statement also included a call for theinternational community “to quickly move to stop all forms of militaryescalation against civilians, prevent a humanitarian catastrophe, andprovide the necessary relief and medical needs for the residents of Gaza.”