Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, said on Tuesday the “barbaric crimes taking place against innocent victims in Gaza” demand collective efforts to stop this humanitarian disaster “that is only deepening day after day.”
He made his remarks at a virtual meeting of the BRICS nations aimed at discussing the war on Gaza.
Crown Prince Mohammed noted the destruction of infrastructure in Gaza, including health facilities and places of worship, demanding decisive solutions to the conflict.
Crown Prince Mohammed, on behalf of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz, headed the Saudi delegation at the meeting.
He praised the president of South Africa for calling for the meeting and the role the BRICS group is playing to help the Palestinian people.
He reiterated Saudi Arabia’s “categorical rejection of the military operation in Gaza that has claimed the lives of thousands of children, women and the elderly.”
He renewed its call for an immediate halt to the operations, opening humanitarian corridors to offer relief to the civilians and allowing international humanitarian organizations to perform their duties.
He stressed that Saudi Arabia has exerted intense efforts since the eruption of the conflict in October to help and protect civilians by offering humanitarian and relief and the launch of a popular donation campaign that has so far collected over SAR500 million.
Crown Prince Mohammed also noted that the Kingdom had called for an extraordinary Arab League and Islamic summit to tackle the conflict. The summit was hosted by Riyadh earlier this month.
The summit condemned the Israeli attack on Gaza, destruction of infrastructure and rejected the excuses that were used to justify the violations.
The summit resulted in the formation of a committee of Arab and Muslim foreign ministers and senior officials who have been tasked with visiting influential capitals to press for a ceasefire in Gaza and the launch of a political process that would lead to lasting and comprehensive peace based on international resolutions.
The committee had kicked off its work in China before heading to Russia on Tuesday.
Crown Prince Mohammed reiterated Saudi Arabia’s firm stance that there can be no security and stability in Palestine except through the implementation of relevant international resolutions related to the adoption of the two-state solution.