Saudi Arabia has told the United States it will not open diplomatic relations with Israel unless an independent Palestinian state is recognised on 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, its foreign ministry said on Wednesday.
Saudi Foreign Ministry said: “There will be no diplomatic relations with Israel unless an independent Palestinian state is recognised on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, and that the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip stops.”
It added that, to normalise relationships, Israeli forces must make a total withdrawal from Gaza. This is coming after US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the US administration has received “positive feedback” that Saudi Arabia and Israel are looking to continue normalisation discussions.
Earlier, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken explained that the normalisation between Saudi Arabia and Israel would produce “immense benefits that would come for everyone concerned with Israel’s further integration into the region.”
The ministry also called on the UN Security Council permanent members to “expedite the recognition of the Palestinian state…so that the Palestinian people can obtain their legitimate rights and so that a comprehensive and just peace is achieved for all.”
Israel launched a deadly offensive on Gaza following an October 7 attack by Hamas, killing at least 27,585 Palestinians and injuring 66,978 others, while nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.
Nearly 85% of Gaza’s population has been rendered internally displaced amid the Israeli offensive, acute food shortages, lack of clean water and medicine supplies. Universities, libraries, graveyards, hospitals, mosques and at least 60% of the region’s infrastructure have been damaged or destroyed, according to a UN report.