Saudi Arabia Stresses Palestinian People’s Right to Establish Independent State

Group photo of the foreign ministers of the Asian Cooperation Dialogue Forum.
Group photo of the foreign ministers of the Asian Cooperation Dialogue Forum.
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Saudi Arabia Stresses Palestinian People’s Right to Establish Independent State

Group photo of the foreign ministers of the Asian Cooperation Dialogue Forum.
Group photo of the foreign ministers of the Asian Cooperation Dialogue Forum.

Saudi Arabia reiterated on Monday the need to immediately stop Israeli military operations in Gaza, emphasizing the Palestinian people’s right to establish an independent state based on the 1967 border with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Saudi Arabia also stressed the need to protect civilians in Gaza, secure the delivery of humanitarian aid, and intensify efforts to reach a just and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue.
The Kingdom’s statement came during the 19th meeting of foreign ministers of the Asian Cooperation Dialogue, which was hosted by Iran, in the presence of Eng. Waleed Al-Khuraiji, Saudi Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Al-Khuraiji stressed the importance of doubling joint efforts and deepening cooperation and coordination to face the growing conflicts and the increasing challenges of food and energy security.
He added that Israel’s actions against defenseless civilians in Gaza have left thousands of victims, including children, women and the elderly. The continuation of military operations threaten regional security and portends the expansion of the conflict, he underscored.
The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs also reiterated the Kingdom’s emphasis on the necessity of maintaining coordination between countries and developing cooperation in all fields, including technology, trade, investment, regional security, energy, culture, and others.
Al-Khuraiji expressed the Kingdom’s commitment to the importance of cooperation in facing climate change and work to develop global governance of artificial intelligence and new technologies. He pointed to the importance and effectiveness of collective efforts within multilateral frameworks in calming tensions and promoting dialogue and joint action.



Qatar PM Says Gaza Ceasefire Talks Make Some Progress

FILE PHOTO: The minaret of the Great Omari Mosque, which was hit in previous Israeli strike during the war, stands damaged in Gaza City, March 17, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The minaret of the Great Omari Mosque, which was hit in previous Israeli strike during the war, stands damaged in Gaza City, March 17, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas/File Photo
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Qatar PM Says Gaza Ceasefire Talks Make Some Progress

FILE PHOTO: The minaret of the Great Omari Mosque, which was hit in previous Israeli strike during the war, stands damaged in Gaza City, March 17, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The minaret of the Great Omari Mosque, which was hit in previous Israeli strike during the war, stands damaged in Gaza City, March 17, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas/File Photo

Qatar's prime minister said on Sunday that efforts to reach a new ceasefire in Gaza have made some progress but an agreement between Israel and Hamas to end the war remains elusive.

"We have seen on Thursday a bit of progress compared to other meetings yet we need to find an answer for the ultimate question: how to end this war. That's the key point of the entire negotiations," said Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who also serves as foreign minister, Reuters reported.

Mossad Director David Barnea traveled to Doha on Thursday to meet Sheikh Mohammed amid efforts to reach a new ceasefire in Gaza, Axios reported last week.

Sheikh Mohammed didn't say which elements of the ceasefire talks had progressed in recent days, but said Hamas and Israel remained at odds over the ultimate goal of negotiations.

He said the militant group is willing to return all remaining Israeli hostages if Israel ends the war in Gaza. But Israel wants Hamas to release the remaining hostages without offering a clear vision on ending the war, he said.

"When you don't have a common objective, a common goal between the parties, I believe the opportunities (to end the war) become very thin," Sheikh Mohammed said at a press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

Fidan said talks Turkish officials have held with Hamas had shown the group would be more open to an agreement that goes beyond a ceasefire in Gaza and aims for a lasting solution to the crisis with Israel, including a two-state solution.

Israel resumed its offensive in Gaza on March 18 after a January ceasefire collapsed, saying it would keep up pressure on Hamas until it frees the remaining hostages still held in the enclave. Up to 24 of them are believed to still be alive.

The Gaza war started after Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack. Since then, Israel's offensive on the enclave killed more than 51,400, according to local health officials.