Saudi Arabia strongly condemned on Tuesday Israeli statements regarding the Philadelphi Corridor and the “futile attempts to justify ongoing Israeli violations of international laws and norms.”
The Saudi Foreign Ministry underscored the Kingdom's solidarity with and support for Egypt against these Israeli allegations.
Additionally, the Kingdom warned about the potential consequences of Israel's provocative statements, which could undermine mediation efforts led by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States to achieve a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
Israel's statements may also exacerbate already dangerous tensions in the region.
The Kingdom reiterated the importance of ending the suffering of the Palestinian people and emphasized the need for unified international efforts to enable them to exercise their inherent right to self-determination and establish their independent state based on the 1967 borders, with east Jerusalem as its capital.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday rejected calls to soften his demand to keep troops in the southern Gazan border area as the price for a ceasefire deal, saying it was vital for Israel to control a key lifeline for Hamas.
The issue of the Philadelphi Corridor, on the southern edge of the Gaza Strip bordering Egypt, has been a major sticking point in efforts to secure a deal to halt the fighting in Gaza and return Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
Hamas has rejected any Israeli presence, while Netanyahu has insisted that Israel will not abandon the corridor, where Israeli troops have uncovered dozens of tunnels they say have been used to smuggle weapons and ammunition into Gaza.
