Saudi Arabia, US explore ways of reducing Mideast tension

RIYADH

The top diplomats from Saudi Arabia and the US discussed ways of reducing tension in the Middle East region, Riyadh said Thursday.

Prince Faisal bin Farhan received a telephone call from Antony Blinken during which they discussed developments in the region, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The discussions dwelled on files of shared interest, particularly the situation in Sudan and the Gaza Strip, and the importance of introducing more humanitarian aid to the Palestinian enclave, according to the statement.

The Israeli army has waged a deadly offensive in the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack by Hamas, which killed less than 1,200 people.

The Israeli war has killed more than 33,500 people and injured over 76,000 in Gaza and caused mass destruction, displacement and brought the Palestinian population of more than 2 million on the verge of famine in the enclave.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which has ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.​​​​​​​