Saudi FM Warns Israeli Assault on Gaza Endangering Entire Region, Calls for Sanctions
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud warned that Israel's ongoing offensive in Gaza is impacting the broader West Asia region, including southern Lebanon, and called for sanctions on Israeli officials for human rights violations.
“The situation in the Gaza Strip does not only affect the Palestinian issue but the entire region and contributes to further escalations, which is currently happening in southern Lebanon,” he said on Thursday.
Prince Faisal made these remarks during a panel discussion titled “Wars and Shadow Wars: What are Europe’s Options in the Middle East?” at the European Council on Foreign Relations meeting in Madrid.
His comments come amid ongoing exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israel, which began in early October following Israel's aggressive campaign against Gaza.
Hezbollah has vowed to continue its retaliatory attacks as long as Israel's war on Gaza persists, which has resulted in at least 38,011 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, and injured 87,445 others.
Hezbollah officials have stated that they do not seek war with Israel but are prepared for it if necessary.
The Saudi foreign minister also criticized the international community's silence on Israel's continued settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank, arguing that this undermines the peace process.
He urged European countries to condemn Israel's brutality and to consider stricter measures, such as imposing sanctions on officials violating international human rights laws.
Prince Faisal reiterated the Palestinian people's right to self-determination and the need for an internationally recognized independent state.
“The majority of the international community agrees that the permanent and just solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is the (so-called) two-state solution, yet they stand idle in the face of matters that could undermine the two-state solution, such as Israel’s continued expansion of settlement activities,” he said.
He praised European countries like Spain and Norway for recognizing Palestine as a state, calling it “a very important move” that supports the peace process and resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
