Smoke billows during Israeli bombardment in Rafah on the southern Gaza Strip amid ongoing battles between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)

Updated 50 min 16 sec ago

ARAB NEWS

February 07, 2024

• Foreign Ministry issues statement on Arab-Israel peace process discussions

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia said there will be no diplomatic relations between the Kingdom and Israel unless Palestinians have an independent state, the Saudi Press Agency reported early on Wednesday.

The statement by the foreign ministry said Riyadh is steadfast on Palestinians obtaining their legitimate rights.
“The Kingdom has communicated its firm position to the U.S. administration that there will be no diplomatic relations with Israel unless an independent Palestinian state is recognized on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital,” the statement said.

The official note addressed comments attributed to the US National Security (Council) Spokesperson John Kirby, without describing his remarks.

Reuters reported on Tuesday that “Kirby said that the Biden administration has received positive feedback that Saudi Arabia and Israel are willing to continue to have normalization discussions”.

The Saudi statement also demanded the “Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip stops and all Israeli occupation forces withdraw from the Gaza Strip”.

The Kingdom also called on permanent members of the UN Security Council to “expedite the recognition of the Palestinian state.”

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on Monday. The diplomat is on a regional tour to discuss with allies the situation in Gaza. He arrived in Israel after visiting Egypt and Qatar on Tuesday.

source https://www.arabnews.com/node/2455436/saudi-arabia