Palestinian president, Saudi crown prince discuss situation in Gaza

• Abbas also presents proposal to visit Gaza with Palestinian leaders

RAMALLAH, Palestine

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met Tuesday to discuss the situation in Gaza.

The meeting took place in the Saudi capital Riyadh, where Abbas arrived on Monday for an unannounced visit, according to the Palestinian official news agency WAFA.

During their discussions, Abbas and bin Salman reviewed the latest developments in the occupied Palestinian territories and the region. They discussed Palestinian and Arab efforts to stop the ongoing Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank, including Jerusalem. the agency said.

President Abbas warned of the dangers posed by Israeli statements and actions concerning Islamic and Christian holy sites, particularly remarks by far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir about building a synagogue in Al-Aqsa Mosque, WAFA reported.

Abbas also presented his plan to the crown prince to visit Gaza with members of the Palestinian leadership to “stop the genocide against our people, ensure the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from the entire Gaza Strip, and affirm that the State of Palestine has full sovereignty over all Palestinian lands, including Gaza and the West Bank.”

In mid-August, Abbas declared before the Turkish parliament his intention to visit Gaza, urging the UN Security Council and the international community to support the visit.

According to WAFA, the two leaders also highlighted the importance of political action by the Ministerial Committee mandated by the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit and chaired by Saudi Arabia to secure further recognition of the State of Palestine and obtain full UN membership.

Bin Salman reiterated Saudi Arabia's unwavering stance in supporting the Palestinian people and their legitimate rights based on international law, the news agency added.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas last Oct. 7, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

The onslaught has resulted in nearly 40,500 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, and over 93,500 injuries, according to local health authorities.

An ongoing blockade of Gaza has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine, leaving much of the region in ruins.

Israel faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered a halt to military operations in the southern city of Rafah, where over one million Palestinians had sought refuge before the area was invaded on May 6.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio