Blinken, Saudi foreign minister discuss Gaza humanitarian pause deal

By Ibrahim al-Khazen

ISTANBUL (AA) - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan on Wednesday spoke over the phone to discuss the new deal between Israel and Hamas for a four-day humanitarian pause in fighting in the Gaza Strip.

“The two sides discussed ways to stop the dangerous military escalation in Gaza and its surroundings, and to adhere to any humanitarian truce and ceasefire agreement, in addition to discussing efforts to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian, relief, and medical aid to prevent the worsening of the humanitarian crisis,” a Saudi Foreign Ministry statement said.

Bin Farhan also reiterated the kingdom's “categorical rejection of the forced displacement of the population of Gaza," the statement said.

He stressed the importance of the international community to move "seriously and effectively to confront all the ongoing violations of the Israeli occupation forces and their repeated violations of international law and international humanitarian law," it added.

Early on Wednesday, the Qatari Foreign Ministry announced that an agreement on a four-day humanitarian pause was achieved between Israel and Hamas.

The Qatar-mediated agreement suggests the deal would include a four-day pause in fighting, the entry of 300 trucks loaded with humanitarian aid, including fuel into the Gaza Strip and the release of 50 Israelis held by Hamas in exchange for 150 Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails.

The agreement also allows an extension of the pause and the potential release of more children and women held by the two sides.

Israel has launched relentless air and ground attacks in the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group, Hamas, on Oct. 7.

The number of people killed in Israeli air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip since then has risen to 14,532, including over 6,000 children and 4,000 women, the media office in the besieged enclave said Wednesday.

The Israeli death toll, meanwhile, is around 1,200, according to official figures.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar