The Palestinian president and the Saudi crown prince discussed Gaza

RAMALLAH:

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met on Tuesday to discuss the situation in Gaza.

The meeting took place in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, where Abbas arrived on Monday for a surprise visit, according to the official Palestinian news agency WAFA.

During their talks, Abbas and bin Salman reviewed the latest developments in the occupied Palestinian territories and the region. They discussed Palestinian and Arab efforts to stop the ongoing Israeli offensive against the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank, including Jerusalem. the agency said.

President Abbas warned of the dangers posed by Israeli statements and actions regarding Islamic and Christian holy sites, particularly comments by Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir regarding the construction of a synagogue at Al-Aqsa Mosque, WAFA reported .

Abbas also presented his plan to the crown prince to visit Gaza with members of the Palestinian leadership to “stop the genocide against our people, ensure the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from the entire Gaza Strip and confirm that the state of Palestine has full sovereignty. in all Palestinian territories, including Gaza and the West Bank.”

In mid-August, Abbas declared before the Turkish parliament his intention to visit Gaza, urging the UN Security Council and the international community to support the visit.

According to WAFA, the two leaders also stressed the importance of political action by the Ministerial Committee mandated by the Joint Emergency Arab-Islamic Summit and chaired by Saudi Arabia to secure further recognition of the State of Palestine and full joining the UN.

Bin Salman reiterated Saudi Arabia’s unwavering stance in support of the Palestinian people and their legitimate rights under international law, the news agency added.

Israel continued its brutal attack on the Gaza Strip after the attack by the Palestinian group Hamas last October 7, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire.

The attack resulted in nearly 40,500 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, and more than 93,500 injuries, according to local health authorities.

The ongoing blockade of Gaza has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine, leaving much of the area in ruins.

Israel is facing charges of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which ordered a halt to military operations in the southern city of Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians had taken refuge before the May 6 invasion of the area.