Saudi Crown Prince, French president discuss developments in Gaza

CAIRO

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed the latest developments in the Gaza Strip in a phone call Wednesday.

The two leaders discussed bilateral relations and ways to enhance cooperation in various fields, according to the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

They also discussed “a number of regional and international issues, foremost of which were the latest developments in the situation in Gaza and the need to intensify efforts and international communications to end the war and all forms of escalation and to work to deliver sufficient humanitarian aid."

Bin Salman and Macron also exchanged congratulations over an agreement signed between the Saudia Group and Airbus to purchase 105 passenger planes.

Israel has waged a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip in retaliation for an Oct. 7 attack last year by the Palestinian group Hamas which killed around 1,200 people.

More than 35,700 Palestinians have been killed, most of them women and children, and nearly 80,000 others injured since then.

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 it to ensure that its forces do not commit acts of genocide and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala