Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's prime minister, has condemned Israel's war on the Gaza Strip as a "genocide."
He issued this condemnation on Nov. 11, during a joint summit by the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation held in the Saudi capital Riyadh. Bin Salman and other Arab leaders present denounced Tel Aviv's ongoing attacks on Gaza and Lebanon, and also called for a ceasefire.
The kingdom has been critical of the Jewish state's attacks on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023. It has also supported calls for a ceasefire and a two-state solution despite earlier speculation that Saudi Arabia and Israel were close to formalizing open relations. Given this, bin Salman has also announced that Riyadh won't establish formal relations with Tel Aviv without the establishment of a Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The crown prince also condemned Israel's "desecration of the Holy Al-Aqsa Mosque" and its "undermining of the critical role of the Palestinian Authority (PA) on all Palestinian territory." He added that these policies only serve to "curtail peace" in the area.
Moreover, bin Salman criticized Israel for banning the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and its attacks on aid agencies in Gaza. He also spoke about the Israeli war on Lebanon and warned against further attacks against Iran, pointing out the "catastrophic consequences" of such violence. (Related: Saudi Crown Prince calls for Israel to be held criminally accountable for actions in Gaza.)
Despite bin Salman's criticism of Israel's ongoing attacks on Gaza, the prince has also been accused of human rights violations including the suppression of free speech, the widespread use of the death penalty and the jailing of women's rights activists. Journalist and former MEE contributor Jamal Khashoggi was allegedly killed in 2018 at the crown prince's behest, according to the BBC.
Other summit attendees also denounce ongoing attacks on Gaza
Other Arab leaders who attended the summit also spoke out against the violence in Gaza. PA President Mahmoud Abbas called for the imposition of sanctions on Israel in his speech prior to the summit. He also called for the end of the expansion of settlements "within one year."
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi denounced "the systematic murder of civilians in Gaza," but did not call it a genocide. He also announced that Egypt would not accept any Israeli plans for the forced displacement of the population of Gaza or the efforts to make the enclave uninhabitable.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad called for "an executive plan" by Arab and Islamic leaders for an end to Israel's war efforts. Otherwise, al-Assad warned that leaders would instead be complicit in "the continuation of genocide."
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has cautioned against Israeli plans "to annihilate Palestinians." He warned that the banning of UNWRA by Israel aims to "eliminate a two-state solution and prevent the return of Palestinian refugees to their homeland."
Erdogan also denounced Western nations that continue to give Israel economic, political, military and moral support. However, he also acknowledged that Muslim countries have failed "to respond adequately" to the devastating war in Gaza.
According to Mahmoud Basal, the spokesperson for the Palestinian Civil Defense office, more than 43,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel began its attacks on the enclave last year.
Visit Genocide.news for more updates on the Israel-Hamas war.
Watch the video below as Saudi Arabia denounces Israel and shows support for Iran, Lebanon and Palestine.
This video is from the TREASURE OF THE SUN channel on Brighteon.com.
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