ANKARA

Saudi Arabia on Friday strongly condemned the Israeli Security Cabinet’s decision to occupy Gaza City, calling it a “war crime” and “an act of ethnic cleansing” against the Palestinian people.

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said it “denounces in the strongest and most severe terms any Israeli move to control Gaza.”

The ministry warned that the plan represents “a clear violation of international humanitarian law” and “a blatant disregard for the Palestinian people’s historical and legal rights to their land.”

It also criticized Israel’s “inhumane practices,” including the use of “starvation as a weapon and the continued siege of the enclave,” adding that these actions reflect an “extremist policy aimed at displacing Palestinians by force.”

Riyadh expressed “deep concern over the failure of the international community,” particularly the UN Security Council, to stop the Israeli onslaught saying that “such silence contributes to worsening the humanitarian catastrophe and undermines international legal norms.”

The ministry reiterated the kingdom’s demand for “urgent and decisive international action to halt the aggression, protect civilians, and allow the delivery of immediate humanitarian aid.”

It also reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s firm support for a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as the capital of an independent Palestinian state in line with relevant UN resolutions.

Early Friday, Israel’s Security Cabinet announced Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to fully occupy Gaza City.

Israel has already been facing mounting outrage over its war on Gaza, where it has killed more than 61,000 people since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave and led to deaths by hunger and starvation.