Top Saudi, US diplomats discuss Gaza

By Mohammad Sio

ISTANBUL (AA) - Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah met on Monday with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in the Saudi capital Riyadh to discuss the developments in the Gaza Strip, Saudi Press Agency WAS reported.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the joint meeting between the foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and the United States, the agency said.

Both top diplomats discussed ways to enhance bilateral relations and strengthen cooperation across various fields between the two countries, it added.

They also reviewed the developments in the Gaza Strip and the city of Rafah, emphasizing the urgent need for an immediate cease-fire, in addition to exploring ways to ensure the entry of urgent humanitarian aid.

Blinken arrived in Saudi Arabia on Monday to discuss a cease-fire in Gaza and is expected to participate in a ministerial meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council to enhance coordination in the field of regional security and the World Economic Forum Special Meeting on Global Cooperation, Growth and Energy for Development.

Israel has waged a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7 last year, which Tel Aviv says killed nearly 1,200 people.

More than 34,400 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and nearly 77,600 others injured amid mass destruction and severe shortages of necessities.

More than six months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins, pushing 85% of the enclave’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. 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 Mohammad Sio in Istanbul