Saudi Arabia urges global community to reject Israeli takeover of Gaza

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
25 Aug 2025 21:36

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan urged the world to oppose Israeli aggression and reject plans to take over Gaza, stressing the need to support Palestine and back UN humanitarian agencies.

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Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan attends a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow, Russia, Friday, July 4, 2025. (Evgenia Novozhenina/Pool Photo via AP)

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan on Monday called on the international community to reject Israeli aggression and oppose plans to seize full control over the Gaza Strip.

“The international community must reject the statement of the Israeli occupiers on their intention to establish full control over the Gaza Strip and put an end to the crimes of the Israeli occupying forces,” bin Farhan told the extraordinary session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Jeddah.

The Saudi minister also condemned statements by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu supporting the creation of a so-called “Greater Israel” through the seizure of Arab territories and all Palestinian lands.

Bin Farhan stressed that the world must support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and other UN agencies providing critical assistance in the occupied Palestinian territories.

“We stress the importance of taking all necessary steps to break the blockade of the Gaza Strip and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid,” he added.

Israeli military plans for Gaza

Israeli state broadcaster Kan reported Wednesday that Security Minister Israel Katz had approved a military operation to seize Gaza City. According to Israeli army radio Galei Tzahal, the operation is planned to continue until 2026, with as many as 130,000 reservists expected to take part at its peak.

A day later, Netanyahu approved military plans to establish full control over Gaza City and defeat the Palestinian Hamas movement, a move widely condemned across the Arab and Islamic world as part of broader Israeli aggression.