Saudi Arabia Urges End to Israel’s Assault on Gaza, Holding it Accountable

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Urges End to Israel’s Assault on Gaza, Holding it Accountable

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)

The Saudi government stressed on Tuesday the importance of ending the Israeli assault on Gaza and activating international accountability mechanisms to hold Israel responsible for its actions.

It also underlined the need for delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza to ease the suffering of the Palestinian people.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chaired the cabinet meeting that was held in Riyadh.

The government welcomed the outcomes of the ministerial meeting held in Madrid aimed at coordinating efforts on the situation in Gaza and steps to implement the two-state solution.

Crown Prince Mohammed briefed the cabinet on the message he received from Angola’s President Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenco. He also briefed them on the separate meetings he held with Egypt’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Chinese Premier Li Qiang during their visits to the Kingdom.

The cabinet highlighted the outcomes of the Fourth Meeting of the High-Level Saudi-Chinese Joint Committee, which it said embodied the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries. It emphasized the mutual interest in bolstering bilateral cooperation across various fields, including political, security, military, energy, trade, investment, financial, scientific, technical, cultural, and tourism sectors.

After the cabinet session, Minister of Media Salman bin Yousef Al-Dossary said the government praised the discussions held by Madbouly with senior Saudi officials during his visit.

The talks underscored the strength of the unique fraternal relations that bind Riyadh and Cairo and reflect a joint will to deepen cooperation in various fields.

The cabinet reviewed Saudi Arabia’s participation at international and regional meetings and its ongoing efforts to cooperate with countries and organizations across the globe to achieve regional security and stability.

The cabinet reviewed the Kingdom's speech at the 68th session of the General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency. It emphasized the ongoing implementation of the national nuclear energy project and the construction of the first nuclear power plant to achieve sustainable development in line with national requirements and international obligations.

Additionally, it highlighted Saudi Arabia’s plans to host an international conference on nuclear emergencies in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency at the end of 2025, reflecting the Kingdom's commitment to preparing for nuclear and radiological emergencies and strengthening the capacity to address them.

The cabinet reiterated the Kingdom's emphasis, during the G20 meetings, on the importance of deepening international cooperation and joint efforts to achieve global food security and support the benefits of the space economy through adopting strategic transformations and providing sustainable solutions in these two areas.

The government reviewed the outcomes of the international conferences and events recently hosted by the Kingdom, which align with national visions and aspirations to strengthen the country's position and leadership in various fields while opening new horizons to boost its present and future role on the global stage.

Moreover, the cabinet praised the third Global AI Summit, which included the launch of initiatives and programs and signing of over 80 local and international agreements, which will help in boosting technological innovation and developing modern technologies that serve sustainable development goals and support the digital economy.

Furthermore, the ministers deemed the Kingdom's classification as a Tier 1—Role-modelling in the United Nations Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) 2024 as a reflection of its advanced position in relevant international indicators, along with a series of accomplishments and successes achieved over the past years at all levels.

The cabinet also reviewed the most prominent statistics related to the national economy, including the stability of inflation rates at 1.6% over the past three months and the 4.9% annual growth of non-oil activities in the second quarter of this year on an annual basis. It underlined the strength of the Kingdom's economy and the effectiveness of the procedures and measures taken to address global economic variables.



Saudi Defense Minister: Time for STC to Withdraw from Yemen's Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra

Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Defense Minister: Time for STC to Withdraw from Yemen's Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra

Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman said on Saturday it “was time for the Southern Transitional Council in Yemen to listen to reason and prioritize public interest and unity of ranks and respond to the Saudi-Emirati mediation to end the escalation.”

In a post on the X platform, he called on the STC to withdraw its forces from the eastern Hadhramaut and al-Mahra provinces and restore control to the National Shield and local authorities.

Prince Khalid said Saudi Arabia formed the Arab coalition to restore legitimacy in Yemen to help the country reclaim control over all of its territories.

The liberation of southern provinces was a pivotal development towards that goal, he stressed.

Saudi Arabia “views the southern issue as fundamental” to Yemen and it will not “exploit it in conflicts that do not serve” the nation, he added.

The Kingdom had brought together all Yemeni components to the Riyadh conference to come up with a clear path for a comprehensive political solution, including the southern issue, he went on to say.

The conference paved the way for a “just solution to their cause through dialogue and without the use of forces.”

“Saudi Arabia approved the decision to move the base of power so that the southerners could have a greater role in state institutions. It consolidated partnership instead of elimination or imposing a status quo through forces. Saudi Arabia also presented Yemen with economic support, as well as development and humanitarian initiatives that helped ease the suffering of the people,” Prince Khalid added.

“Saudi Arabia and its partners in the coalition offered sacrifices with their Yemeni brothers in liberating Aden and other provinces,” he noted. “The Kingdom has always sought that these sacrifices be made in the name of reclaiming territories and restoring the state, not as a path towards new conflicts.”

It had hoped that these sacrifices would have been “invested in the security of all Yemeni people, not exploited for petty gains, whereby the unfortunate developments in Hadhramaut and al-Mahra since the beginning of December 2025 have led to the division in ranks that should be united against the enemy.”

“The developments have laid waste to the sacrifices of our sons and Yemeni people and have harmed the just southern issue,” stressed Prince Khalid.

He noted that several southern leaderships and figures have exhibited “awareness and wisdom in supporting efforts to end the escalation in Hadhramaut and al-Mahra and prevent the secure southern provinces from being dragged into futile conflicts.”

“They are aware of the major challenges facing Yemen and will not allow saboteurs to achieve their goals in the country and the region,” he remarked.

He declared that the “southern issue will remain part of any comprehensive political solution. The cause will not be neglected or marginalized. It should be resolved through consensus, adhering to commitments and building trust between all Yemeni segments, not through adventures that only serve everyone's enemy.”


Arab Coalition: We Will Deal with Military Moves that Violate De-escalation Efforts

Coalition spokesman Brigadier General Turki al-Malki. (SPA)
Coalition spokesman Brigadier General Turki al-Malki. (SPA)
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Arab Coalition: We Will Deal with Military Moves that Violate De-escalation Efforts

Coalition spokesman Brigadier General Turki al-Malki. (SPA)
Coalition spokesman Brigadier General Turki al-Malki. (SPA)

Spokesman of the Arab coalition to support legitimacy in Yemen Brigadier General Turki al-Malki said on Saturday that “any military moves that violate de-escalation efforts will be dealt with directly to protect lives and ensure the success of Saudi and Emirati efforts.”

The statement is in response to a request by Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Dr. Rashad al-Alimi, who called for immediate steps to protect civilians in the eastern Hadhramaut and al-Mahra provinces in wake of the “grave and horrific” violations by members of the Southern Transitional Council (STC).

It is also in continuation of the strenuous joint efforts by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to de-escalate the situation and ensure the withdrawal of STC forces, who have been demanded to cede control to the National Shield forces and allow the local authorities to carry out their duties.

Malki underlined the Arab coalition’s continued firm support for the legitimate Yemeni government.

He also urged all sides to assume their national responsibility, exercise restraint and comply with efforts to reach peaceful solutions that preserve security and stability.


Saudi Arabia Carries out Warning Strike on Yemen’s Hadhramaut, STC Says ‘Open to Coordination’

Southern forces patrol during a rally calling for South Yemen's independence, in the southern port city of Aden, Yemen, 25 December 2025. (EPA)
Southern forces patrol during a rally calling for South Yemen's independence, in the southern port city of Aden, Yemen, 25 December 2025. (EPA)
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Saudi Arabia Carries out Warning Strike on Yemen’s Hadhramaut, STC Says ‘Open to Coordination’

Southern forces patrol during a rally calling for South Yemen's independence, in the southern port city of Aden, Yemen, 25 December 2025. (EPA)
Southern forces patrol during a rally calling for South Yemen's independence, in the southern port city of Aden, Yemen, 25 December 2025. (EPA)

Saudi Arabia called for calm in eastern Yemen, urging an end to unilateral military moves and for the Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces to return to their former positions outside of the Hadhramaut and al-Mahra provinces.

Riyadh, meanwhile, demonstrated its stance on the ground by carrying out a warning air strike, informed sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.

The strike sought to deliver a message that it will not allow a new status quo to be imposed on the ground by force and that it will not allow the violation of institutional frameworks that handle security in the eastern provinces.

It warned that any further escalation will be met with firmer measures.

Meanwhile, the STC, in an attempt to justify its military moves, said they were in “response to calls from residents of the south” and an attempt to confront terrorist threats and block Houthi smuggling routes.

The STC added that it was “open to any coordination or arrangements with Saudi Arabia”, questioning the airstrike, which it said “does not serve understandings.”

Observers told Asharq Al-Awsat that Saudi Arabia will welcome the coordination and arrangements if they helped end the escalation, led to the withdrawal of the STC and allowed the National Shield forces and the local authority to take over Hadhramaut and al-Mahra without needing to resort to force.

They stressed that the strike will lead to delivering the clear message that Riyadh may impose red lines by force to prevent any escalation.

Sourced told Asharq Al-Awsat that any future settlement over restoring the unity of Yemeni ranks will condition a return to the former status quo.