Saudi Arabia: No normalization without Gaza ceasefire, Palestinian state

Shafaq News – New York

On Monday, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan affirmed that normalization with Israel is not possible unless the war in Gaza ends and a Palestinian state is established.

Speaking at a joint press conference with his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot, following the UN conference on implementing the two-state solution, bin Farhan emphasized that “there can be no credibility or reason to engage in talks on normalization while killings and destruction continue in the Gaza Strip.”

He stressed the need for a unified Palestinian representative under the Palestinian Authority and said recognition of a Palestinian state was long overdue. “It should not be subject to an Israeli veto,” he added.

Barrot accused Israel of pursuing “a policy that fuels terrorism,” stating that extremist settlers “deny Palestinians the right to exist and perpetuate hatred. The situation is now out of control.”

Earlier, the high-level international conference on a peaceful resolution to the Palestinian issue and the implementation of the two-state solution opened with broad participation from states, international organizations, and UN bodies.