Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) called for the establishment of a Palestinian State according to the 1967 borders during his speech at the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Riyadh on Friday.
“We are hurting [from] the escalating violence in Gaza today, which is paying the price for by innocent civilians,” MbS said. “We refuse to target civilians in any form and under any pretext.”
The crown prince stated “the need to stop military operations against civilians and infrastructure that affect their daily lives” and the need to “create conditions to achieve lasting peace that ensures the establishment of a Palestinian state.”
The Saudi royal hosted UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in Riyadh on 19 October after the latter’s solidarity visit to Israel.
MbS voiced his condemnation of the Israeli targeting of civilians in Gaza, calling it a “heinous crime and a brutal attack.”
Saudi Press Agency reports that the crown prince strongly emphasized the need to work towards safeguarding civilian lives, reducing military expansion, and ensuring that the ongoing violence doesn’t escalate.
Mbs also stressed the “need for creating conditions that can restore stability and peace and guarantee the Palestinian people their legitimate rights,” according to SPA.
This comes after the Israeli airstrike against a hospital in Gaza, where thousands of Palestinians were seeking shelter. The attack killed hundreds, most of whom were children.
As of 19 October’s numbers, the Palestinian Health Ministry reported 3,785 Palestinians were killed and more than 12,000 wounded in Israeli strikes.
