Chicago – February 15, 2024
Saudi Arabia warned on Saturday that Israel’s planned army assault in overcrowded Rafah will result in a “humanitarian catastrophe” and urged the United Nations Security Council to intervene.
In a foreign ministry statement reported by state media, the monarchy “warned of the extremely dangerous repercussions of storming and targeting” Rafah and confirmed its “categorical rejection and strong condemnation of their forced deportation.”
More than one million displaced Palestinians have sought safety in the city in Gaza’s far south, with many sleeping in tents pressed up against the border with Egypt and the sea.
Saudi Arabia, home to Islam’s holiest sites, has never recognized Israel but was considering doing so before the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out in October.
Riyadh has consistently called for a cease-fire and condemned Israeli “aggression” in Gaza.
While US President Joe Biden’s administration has expressed hope that Saudi-Israeli normalization might be rekindled, Saudi Arabia stated this week that it would not normalize relations with Israel until an independent Palestinian state is “recognised” and Israeli soldiers leave Gaza.
