Saudi Arabia Reiterates Categorical Rejection of Israel’s Intention to Displace People of Gaza

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz chairs the cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz chairs the cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Reiterates Categorical Rejection of Israel’s Intention to Displace People of Gaza

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz chairs the cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz chairs the cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)

The Saudi government reiterated on Tuesday its categorical rejection of Israeli statements about the displacement of the people of Gaza and the return of its occupation of the coastal enclave.

It also rejected Israel’s intention to build settlements in Gaza.

It stressed the importance of the international community mobilizing mechanisms to hold the Israeli government accountable for its violations of international resolutions and humanitarian law.

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz chaired the cabinet meeting that was held in Riyadh.

The cabinet reviewed the latest regional and international developments, including the situation in the Palestinian territories.

The ministers were briefed on the messages received by King Salman and Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, from the president of Belarus on bilateral relations between their countries and ways to bolster them in various fields.

Minister of Media Salman bin Yousef Al-Dosari said the cabinet renewed the Kingdom’s keenness to support efforts aimed at boosting the stability of oil markets.

It praised OPEC and non-OPEC oil-producing countries' recent statement that reiterated the full commitment of the signatories of the 2016 Declaration of Cooperation on unity, cohesion, and continued and unwavering efforts to maintain the stability of oil market.



Faisal bin Farhan, Shaibani Discuss Developments in Syria 

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and Syrian FM Asaad al-Shaibani meet in Riyadh earlier in February. (Saudi Foreign Ministry) 
Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and Syrian FM Asaad al-Shaibani meet in Riyadh earlier in February. (Saudi Foreign Ministry) 
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Faisal bin Farhan, Shaibani Discuss Developments in Syria 

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and Syrian FM Asaad al-Shaibani meet in Riyadh earlier in February. (Saudi Foreign Ministry) 
Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and Syrian FM Asaad al-Shaibani meet in Riyadh earlier in February. (Saudi Foreign Ministry) 

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah received on Monday a telephone call from his Syrian counterpart Asaad al-Shaibani to discuss regional developments.

They reviewed bilateral relations between their countries, as well as the latest developments in Syria and efforts exerted towards them.


GCC Calls on Iraq to Withdraw Contentious Coordinates, Map Lodged with UN 

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi. (GCC)
Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi. (GCC)
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GCC Calls on Iraq to Withdraw Contentious Coordinates, Map Lodged with UN 

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi. (GCC)
Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi. (GCC)

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi called on Monday Iraq to withdraw the list of coordinates and the map lodged with the United Nations, which includes claims regarding Iraqi maritime zones.

In a statement, Albudaiwi said the coordinates and map infringe on Kuwait’s sovereignty over its maritime areas and shoals, including Fasht Al-Qaid and Fasht Al-Aij.

He underscored the importance of resorting to international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), in a manner consistent with the understandings, agreements, and bilateral memoranda of understanding concluded between the two countries.

Albudaiwi reiterated the GCC’s steadfast positions and previous resolutions on Iraq's respect for Kuwait's sovereignty and territorial integrity and its categorical rejection of any violation of Kuwait's sovereignty.

"The GCC and Iraq are bound by deep-rooted historical relations and close ties based on mutual respect and good neighborliness," he stressed, noting that such claims undermine efforts to boost cooperation and bilateral relations between Iraq and Kuwait.

He hoped Baghdad would withdraw the list of coordinates and the map in order to bolster mutual trust, support the stability of relations, and enshrine commitment to relevant legal and international principles.


Saudi Arabia, Various Foreign Ministers Condemn Israel over West Bank Moves

FILE - This photo shows a construction site of new housing projects in the West Bank Israeli settlement of Givat Ze'ev, Monday, June 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, File)
FILE - This photo shows a construction site of new housing projects in the West Bank Israeli settlement of Givat Ze'ev, Monday, June 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, File)
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Saudi Arabia, Various Foreign Ministers Condemn Israel over West Bank Moves

FILE - This photo shows a construction site of new housing projects in the West Bank Israeli settlement of Givat Ze'ev, Monday, June 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, File)
FILE - This photo shows a construction site of new housing projects in the West Bank Israeli settlement of Givat Ze'ev, Monday, June 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, File)

The ‌foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Brazil, France, Spain, Türkiye and various other states condemned Israeli decisions that they said introduce sweeping extensions to unlawful Israeli control over the West Bank.

"Changes are wide-ranging, reclassifying Palestinian land as so-called Israeli ‘state land’, accelerating illegal settlement activity, and further entrenching Israeli administration," said the joint statement, ‌issued late ‌on Monday by the ‌Turkish Foreign ⁠Ministry.

Other countries to ⁠sign the statement included Egypt and Qatar, as well as the heads of the Arab League and Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Reuters said.

Israel's cabinet on February 15 approved further ⁠measures to tighten Israel's control ‌over the occupied ‌West Bank and make it easier for ‌settlers to buy land, a move ‌Palestinians called a "de-facto annexation".

The West Bank is among the territories that Palestinians seek for a future independent state. Much ‌of it is under Israeli military control, with limited Palestinian self-rule ⁠in ⁠some areas run by the Western-backed Palestinian Authority.

The joint statement said the settlements, and decisions designed to further them, are "a flagrant violation of international law" and a step towards "unacceptable de facto annexation".

It said they also undermine the ongoing efforts for peace and stability in the region and threaten any meaningful prospect of regional integration.