Saudi Arabia to host meeting of alliance pushing for Palestinian state

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
30 Oct 2024 21:03

Riyadh calls for "a joint Arab-Islamic follow-up summit" to take place on November 11, focusing on the continued Israeli aggression on Palestinian territories and Lebanon.

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Saudi Arabian Minister for Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud arrives at the BRICS summit in Kazan on October 24, 2024. (AFP)

Saudi Arabia hosted Wednesday the inaugural meeting of a newly formed "international alliance" aimed at advocating for the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Launched last month alongside the UN General Assembly, the "International Alliance to Implement the Two-State Solution" includes countries from the Middle East, Europe, and beyond.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan announced that close to 90 “states and international organizations” were participating in the two-day gathering in Riyadh.

"A genocide is happening with the goal of evicting the Palestinian people from their land, which Saudi Arabia rejects," bin Farhan stressed, characterizing the humanitarian conditions as "catastrophic" and denouncing the "total blockade" of northern Gaza.

Following the outbreak of the war on Gaza last year, Saudi Arabia — the world's largest oil exporter — suspended US-mediated discussions on normalizing relations with "Israel".

In September, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reiterated that Saudi Arabia requires the establishment of an "independent Palestinian state" as a prerequisite for normalization.

Prince Faisal reaffirmed this stance on Wednesday.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry also issued a call for "a joint Arab-Islamic follow-up summit" to take place on November 11, focusing on the "continued Israeli aggression on Palestinian territories, Lebanon, and current developments in the region."

Last November, Saudi Arabia hosted a combined meeting of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, condemning Israeli forces' "barbaric" actions in Gaza.