The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia , Prince Mohammad bin Salman (MBS), “went down the mountain” to handle the war between Hamas, the Palestinian faction in the Gaza Strip, and Israel. The de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia reportedly called Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas to urge a resolution to the problem.
According to him, Saudi Arabia wants to prevent the “expansion” of the conflict. He also emphasized the country’s commitment to Palestine.
“Saudi Arabia continues to support the Palestinian people to achieve their legitimate right to a decent life,” he said, quoted by AFP , citing a report by the official Saudi Press Agency, Tuesday (10/10/2023).
“In order to achieve their hopes and aspirations, and achieve just and lasting peace,” he stressed.
MBS’s own statement came after yesterday, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also responded to this escalation. Job admitted that the current situation had never happened before, where the level of violence was very high on several fronts there.
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia calls for an immediate end to the escalation between the two sides, the protection of civilians and self-control,” he stressed, quoted by Al Arabia.
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia also reiterates its warning… that the current dangerous situation is the result of the continued (Israeli) occupation, deprivation of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and systematic provocations,” Saudi Arabia added.
Saudi Arabia also asked the international community to assume joint responsibility and activate the Palestinian and Israeli peace process. This step was taken to trigger a two-state solution to achieve security and peace in the region.
It should be noted that the increase in violence occurred amid speculation that Saudi Arabia, which has never recognized Israel, would normalize relations with Israel. This is in line with the agreement with the United States (US) which will provide security guarantees and assistance to develop a civil nuclear program.
But MBS himself told Fox News last month that the Palestinian issue was “very important” to Saudi Arabia. Moreover, Palestine is home to Islam’s holiest sites in Mecca and Medina.
“We need to solve this problem. We need to make life easier for the Palestinian people,” he added.
Analysts say any progress towards normalization would come as a blow to the ongoing fighting. MBS also reportedly contacted Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordanian King Abdullah II, to find a solution to the Hamas and Israel problems.
Previously, war broke out after Hamas’ sudden attack on Israeli territory, Saturday. This was then responded to with a declaration of war by Israeli Prime Minister (PM) Benjamin Netanyahu.
Missile attacks continued between the two sides. Citing AFP data on Tuesday, it is known that around 1,500 civilians were killed, both from Palestine and Israel.
Source : CNBC
