Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan is ready to make a landmark go to to the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Sunday, changing into the primary Saudi high diplomat to take action because the territory was occupied in 1967, a diplomatic supply informed AFP.
The go to comes as world strain mounts on Israel over its continued navy marketing campaign in Gaza and its ongoing violations of worldwide regulation by way of unlawful settlement enlargement within the West Bank. Israel’s actions have triggered a deepening humanitarian disaster and widespread worldwide condemnation, with the United Nations warning of famine circumstances throughout Gaza.
“A ministerial delegation led by the minister of foreign affairs will go to Ramallah on Sunday,” a Palestinian embassy supply confirmed. Prince Faisal will lead talks in Ramallah as a part of Riyadh’s broader diplomatic push to advance Palestinian statehood and reaffirm the Kingdom’s longstanding place in assist of Palestinian rights.
The go to marks the highest-level Saudi presence within the West Bank because the 1967 occupation. Saudi Arabia had beforehand despatched a lower-level delegation to Ramallah in September 2023, simply weeks earlier than the outbreak of Israel’s genocidal assaults on Gaza on Oct. 7.
Prince Faisal’s go to comes simply days after Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant declared plans to construct a “Jewish Israeli state” within the West Bank, doubling down on Israel’s settlement enlargement. On Thursday, the Israeli authorities introduced the institution of twenty-two new settlements, broadly thought-about unlawful below worldwide regulation, additional entrenching occupation and undermining hopes for a future Palestinian state.
Next month, Saudi Arabia and France are set to co-host a global convention on the United Nations headquarters in New York to revive efforts towards a two-state resolution. The gathering is anticipated to construct momentum towards recognizing Palestinian statehood and urging a decision to the decades-long occupation.
While almost 150 nations at the moment acknowledge the State of Palestine, it stays an observer on the U.N., missing full membership because of the Security Council’s inaction. In May 2024, Ireland, Norway, and Spain took the historic step of formally recognizing Palestine. France, regardless of not but making the transfer, has hinted it may comply with go well with.
President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged in April that France might acknowledge Palestine in June and emphasised the significance of the upcoming New York convention in selling mutual recognition, each for Palestine and for Israel, from nations that don’t but acknowledge it.
Saudi Arabia, residence to Islam’s holiest websites and the world’s largest oil exporter, had been reportedly nearing a normalization cope with Israel earlier than the struggle in Gaza erupted. However, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman made clear in September that Riyadh wouldn’t normalize ties with Israel with out the institution of an impartial Palestinian state.
This stance was reaffirmed at a joint Arab League and Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit in November, the place member states accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza and demanded a direct finish to the occupation and aggression.
Earlier this month, throughout a go to to Riyadh, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed hope that Saudi Arabia would ultimately normalize relations with Israel. “You’ll do it in your own time, and that’s what I want, that’s what you want,” he informed Saudi leaders.
The Saudi overseas minister’s go to is anticipated to underline the Kingdom’s agency assist for Palestinian sovereignty and its rejection of Israel’s continued occupation and settlement exercise in violation of worldwide regulation.
Source: www.dailysabah.com