Saudi Arabia urges end to Israeli ‘crimes’ in Gaza, backs two-state solution

ISTANBUL

Saudi Arabia and Egypt on Monday called for an immediate end to Israel’s war on Gaza, with both nations urging stronger international pressure to secure a ceasefire and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid into the blockaded territory.

Speaking at an emergency ministerial meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Jeddah, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan urged the international community to act quickly to stop Israeli violations and allow urgent aid into Gaza.

“It is necessary to deliver all essential assistance and support to the people of Gaza,” he said, stressing that Israeli practices pose “the greatest threat to security and peace in the region.”

Bin Farhan also rejected Israeli settlement expansions in the occupied Palestinian territories and welcomed a growing international consensus for a two-state solution, affirming Palestinians’ right to establish an independent state.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, for his part, urged the international community to pressure Israel into accepting a US-backed Gaza proposal approved by Hamas, which includes a 60-day ceasefire and unhindered humanitarian access.

Addressing the OIC meeting, Abdelatty said over 5,000 aid trucks are stuck on the Egyptian side due to Israeli restrictions, warning that Gaza needs at least 700 trucks daily to meet the basic needs of the territory’s 2.4 million population.

The Egyptian minister accused Israel of using starvation and siege tactics to displace Palestinians, a scenario Egypt firmly rejects, and condemned Israeli rhetoric about a “Greater Israel” as “arrogant and unacceptable.”

The OIC meeting, chaired by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, focused on coordinating responses to the ongoing Israeli assault on Gaza and reaffirming support for Palestinian statehood.

Israel has killed more than 62,700 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.