Saudi Arabia has strongly criticized Israel’s call for Palestinians to evacuate Gaza City and has condemned the continued targeting of “defenseless civilians.” The condemnation comes as the Israeli military issued a warning for over 1 million Gaza City residents to move south within 24 hours, amid an imminent ground invasion.
In a statement from the Saudi Foreign Ministry, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia expressed its vehement rejection of forced displacements of the Palestinian people in Gaza. It also condemned the ongoing targeting of innocent civilians in the area. Saudi Arabia called on the international community to take immediate action to halt military escalation against civilians and prevent a humanitarian catastrophe.
The statement underscored the international community’s responsibility to provide necessary relief and medical assistance to the people of Gaza, emphasizing that depriving them of basic necessities for a decent life constitutes a violation of international humanitarian law. Riyadh warned that failing to do so would further worsen the crisis and the suffering of the region’s population.
Saudi Arabia also called for the lifting of the Israeli siege on Gaza, the evacuation of injured civilians, and the promotion of the peace process between Palestinians and Israelis, in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative (API). The API calls for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.