Saudi Arabia affirms its ‘unwavering’ support for Palestine

In an effort to put a “swift end” to the bloodshed between Hamas and Israel, Riyadh has stated that it will aggressively work with regional players.

According to Saudi media, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman telephoned Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday to express Saudi Arabia’s continued support for the “legitimate rights” of Palestinians.

According to the Saudi Gazette, the crown prince stated that the most recent escalation in Gaza, which started following a sudden attack on Israel by the militant group Hamas over the weekend, poses a threat to security and stability throughout the whole Middle East.

In order to prevent the conflict between Israel and Hamas from spreading to other regions of the Middle East, the kingdom intends to make “proactive efforts” and work with international and regional powers, according to bin Salman. He also stated that his country wants to put a “swift end” to the hostilities.

According to the Saudi Gazette, he also emphasised the value of upholding humanitarian law and refraining from attacking civilians while reiterating that Saudi Arabia supports the Palestinians in their quest for a “dignified life… [the] realisation of their hopes and aspirations” as well as a “lasting peace.”

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Along with the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah bin Al-Hussein, bin Salman also spoke with them about the situation in Gaza. According to the site, the main topics of both conversations were preserving regional stability and halting the growth of the violence.

The words from Riyadh came after a significant attack on Israel by the militant organisation Hamas, which is based in Gaza, during the most recent escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Over the weekend, militants attacked Israel with a cross-border raid and thousands of rockets. According to Israeli authorities, the initial attack and subsequent skirmishes resulted in the deaths of over 900 Israelis, including over 100 military men.

In response, Israel launched a protracted bombing campaign on Gaza and declared a complete blockade of the territory, denying it access to supplies of food, water, and gasoline. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, as of Monday, Israeli airstrikes had resulted in at least 510 Palestinian fatalities and 2,751 injuries.

The UN announced on Tuesday that it would look into war crimes committed during the most recent escalation and that it had “clear evidence” of violations on both sides.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey, called on Israel and the terrorists in Palestine to stop using violence on Monday. He also offered Ankara’s assistance as a mediator in any future peace negotiations. He added that his country would be willing to help with a prisoner exchange if needed.