S/Arabia Unveils Global Initiative for Palestine, Backs Two-state Solution

S/Arabia Unveils Global Initiative for Palestine, Backs Two-state Solution

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has launched a new initiative involving the creation of an independent Palestine state and advanced implementation of a two-state solution.

This announcement, which was made available through the Press Attache of the kingdom’s embassy, Mohammed AI-Sahabi, comes after decades of failed international efforts to solve the Israel-Palestine conflict, which brought the region to the verge of a full-scale war.

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, described the initiative as one being developed in cooperation between Arab and European countries and stated that its first meeting would be held in Riyadh.

Moreover, the chief of foreign affairs for the European Union, Josep Borrell, expressed that there would be further meetings in Riyadh and Brussels.

“We are committed to working in accordance with the reliable and irreversible plan to attain just comprehensive peace,” Prince Faisal said while appealing for concerted efforts to reach practical results, first and foremost of which is an immediate cessation of hostilities and actual progress toward the solution of two states and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

This is against the backdrop of a fierce battle between Israel and Hamas, following an October 7 deadly attack by Hamas in which it killed close to 1,200 people and took hundreds hostage into Gaza. Israel has responded with heavy airstrikes that considerably devastated the Gaza Strip.

Prince Faisal criticised the escalating violence, saying war crimes have turned into a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, at the same time condemning what he termed as Israeli “crimes” in the West Bank and at key Muslim and Christian holy sites, including the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Prince Faisal underscored that self-defense is indeed a legitimate right, but it does not license mass civilian casualties, forced displacement, starvation, and acts of dehumanisation, including systematic torture and sexual violence.

Saudi Arabia has continuously made it known that it will normalise relations with Israel only when a Palestinian state is established, based on 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.