JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has received Vice President of the State of Palestine Hussein Al-Sheikh and explored ways to strengthen joint efforts to support the Palestinian cause.
The two sides during the meeting at al-Salam Palace in Jeddah also discussed the interests of the Palestinian people, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Thursday.
Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and a number of Palestinian officials also attended the meeting.
Yesterday, the Saudi Foreign Ministry expressed its categorical rejection of the Israeli occupation authorities’ announcement regarding their incursion into and control of the Gaza Strip and Palestinian territories.
The ministry, in a statement, also strongly condemned the continued Israeli violations of international law and international humanitarian law.
It reaffirmed the Kingdom’s firm stance against any attempts to expand Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories and stressed the importance of holding the occupation authorities accountable to international resolutions.
The ministry reiterated Saudi Arabia’s unwavering support for the Palestinian cause, in line with international legitimacy, the Arab Peace Initiative, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that an expanded offensive against the Palestinian group Hamas would be “intensive” after his security cabinet approved plans that may include seizing the Gaza Strip and controlling aid.
However, an Israeli defence official said the operation would not be launched before US President Donald Trump concludes his visit to the Middle East.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health in Gaza said that at least 52,760 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s war on the Palestinian territory since October 2023.
A ministry statement said that 106 people were killed in Israeli attacks in the enclave in the last 24 hours, while 367 others were injured, taking the number of injuries to 119,264 in the Israeli onslaught.
