Saudi foreign minister discusses developments in Gaza with his British counterpart

By Abdelsalam Fayez

ISTANBUL (AA) - Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan on Monday discussed the developments of the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza with David Cameron, the British Foreign Secretary.

According to the Saudi state-run news agency SPA, bin Farhan received a phone call from Cameron during which they discussed regional and international issues of common interest, most notably the developments in the Gaza Strip.

Their telephone conversation came amid ongoing efforts by the US, Qatar and Egypt to bridge the differences between Israel and the Hamas group to reach a cease-fire in Gaza and a prisoner swap deal.

On Monday, Palestinians in Gaza, like most Muslims worldwide, marked the first day of the holy month of Ramadan under the continued Israeli bombing across the Gaza Strip, making it the toughest month for them, as they suffer the displacement from their areas and lack food, water and most basic items.

Israel has launched a retaliatory offensive on Gaza since a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7. The offensive has killed more than 31,000 victims and injured nearly 73,000 others amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the Palestinian enclave, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

About 85% of Gazans have been displaced by the Israeli onslaught amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which in an interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar