Saudi Arabia, US hold talks on Gaza

By Anadolu staff

ISTANBUL (AA) - Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on Sunday discussed the situation in the Gaza Strip, emphasizing the need to halt the war and facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid into the besieged Palestinian enclave.

During Sullivan's visit to Riyadh, which began on Saturday, the two sides reviewed “the work … on the Palestinian issue to find a credible pathway toward the two-state solution in a way that meets the aspirations of the Palestinian people and their legitimate rights,” according to the official Saudi News Agency SPA.

On Friday, the White House reported that Sullivan will travel to Saudi Arabia and Israel at the end of this week.

On Thursday, the daily Yedioth Ahronoth said that Sullivan will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Galant, and War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz.

The US states its opposition to a "broad" Israeli military operation in Rafah, yet it continues to support Tel Aviv in its war on the Gaza Strip, where the majority of casualties are civilians, including those in Rafah.

Israel continued its brutal offensive on Gaza despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.

Nearly 35,400 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, the vast majority being women and children, and over 79,300 others injured since October following an attack by Hamas.

More than seven months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel is accused of “genocide” at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered Tel Aviv to ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi