Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement denouncing and condemning the Israeli escalation of actions in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
The Kingdom expressed its sincere condolences to the families of the victims and to the government and people of Palestine, wishing those injured a speedy recovery.
The ministry reaffirmed the Kingdom’s categorical rejection of the serious violations committed by Israeli occupation forces.
News agency Associated Press reported that Israeli military forces raided a refugee camp in the northern West Bank which left six Palestinians dead, including a 15-year-old boy, while injuring more than 90, according to Palestinian health officials.
AP originally reported five Palestinian fatalities, but the toll increased when 48-year-old Amjad Abu Jaas succumbed to wounds sustained in a gun battle. Eight Israeli soldiers were wounded while a dozen Palestinians were left in a critical condition.
Last month the Kingdom condemned the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and reiterated Saudi Arabia’s firm position toward the Palestinian people.
Thousands of Jewish nationalists, some of them chanting “Death to Arabs” and other slogans, paraded through the main Palestinian thoroughfare of Jerusalem’s Old City on Thursday.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Gulf Cooperation Council have reiterated their support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
The Saudi foreign minister spoke about the Kingdom’s stance on the Palestinian cause during a panel discussion on “The Geostrategic Role of Middle Eastern Countries” at the Munich Security Conference in February.
Prince Faisal bin Farhan said: “We have a moral responsibility to try to find a pathway to peace because the suffering that will come both in Palestine and in Israel if we don’t find a pathway to peace is indescribable.
“Therefore, we will do what we can. We will engage with whomever we can to find that pathway.”
GCC Secretary-General Jassim Mohammed Al-Budaiwi strongly criticized the storming of Jenin camp by Israeli forces and the deaths of innocent Palestinians.
Al-Budaiwi offered his condolences to the victims’ families and wished the injured a swift recovery, Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday,
The secretary-general said the international community must act quickly to put an end to Israel’s systematic attacks on the Palestinian people, which are a flagrant violation of international law norms.
He said the Palestinian people need protection, and that all must support efforts to find a solution to the Middle East peace process that ensures regional security, peace and stability.
