DUBAI: Saudi Arabia on Sunday condemned Israel’s “flagrant violations” of Palestinian rights and called for global action to end military attacks while fellow Gulf states that forged ties with Israel said a ceasefire was needed for regional stability.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, addressing a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) as hostilities between Israel and militants in Gaza entered a seventh day, condemned what he called the violation of the sanctity of Islamic holy sites.
He also denounced the “forcible” eviction of Palestinians from their homes in East Jerusalem and urged the international community to end this “dangerous escalation” and revive peace negotiations based on a two-state solution.
“East Jerusalem is a Palestinian land that we do not accept to harm it,” the foreign minister added. “The Kingdom categorically rejects the Israeli violations against the Palestinians … and calls for an immediate end to the Israeli escalation.”
The minister said that Saudi Arabia calls on the international community to shoulder its responsibility “in the face of Israeli violations,” adding that they must intervene to end Israel’s actions.
The Kingdom renews its support for the Arab Peace Initiative, which guarantees Palestinians’ right to a state with East Jerusalem as its capital, Prince Faisal added.
Emirati and Bahraini ministers at the virtual gathering of the 57-member OIC called for a ceasefire and stressed the importance of preserving the identity of Jerusalem, which contains sites sacred to Judaism, Islam and Christianity.
“De-escalation and the highest degree of restraint are important to avoid dragging the region to new levels of instability,” said UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem al-Hashimy.
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