Aoun: Saudi Arabia Will Be Destination of First Foreign Visit, Reflecting its Historic Support to Lebanon

 Newly-elected Lebanese President Joseph Aoun poses for a picture at the presidential palace in Baabda, Lebanon, January 9, 2025. (Dalati Nohra/Handout via Reuters)
Newly-elected Lebanese President Joseph Aoun poses for a picture at the presidential palace in Baabda, Lebanon, January 9, 2025. (Dalati Nohra/Handout via Reuters)
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Aoun: Saudi Arabia Will Be Destination of First Foreign Visit, Reflecting its Historic Support to Lebanon

 Newly-elected Lebanese President Joseph Aoun poses for a picture at the presidential palace in Baabda, Lebanon, January 9, 2025. (Dalati Nohra/Handout via Reuters)
Newly-elected Lebanese President Joseph Aoun poses for a picture at the presidential palace in Baabda, Lebanon, January 9, 2025. (Dalati Nohra/Handout via Reuters)

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, held telephone talks on Saturday with Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun, congratulating him on his election on Thursday.

He conveyed the congratulations of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and wished Aoun and the brotherly people of Lebanon further progress.

Crown Prince Mohammed also invited Aoun to visit the Kingdom.

For his part, the president expressed his gratitude to the Crown Prince for Saudi Arabia’s support to Lebanon and its people.

Aoun confirmed that Saudi Arabia will be the destination of his first official foreign visit, saying it “reflects his belief in the Kingdom’s historic role in supporting and standing by Lebanon.”

“Ties with the Kingdom are also the foundation of Lebanon’s ties with the region,” he added.



Saudi Arabia Rejects Israel’s Plan to Capture Gaza 

A Palestinian man reacts following an Israeli strike that hit Gaza City's Thai restaurant and its vicinity on May 7, 2025. (AFP)
A Palestinian man reacts following an Israeli strike that hit Gaza City's Thai restaurant and its vicinity on May 7, 2025. (AFP)
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Saudi Arabia Rejects Israel’s Plan to Capture Gaza 

A Palestinian man reacts following an Israeli strike that hit Gaza City's Thai restaurant and its vicinity on May 7, 2025. (AFP)
A Palestinian man reacts following an Israeli strike that hit Gaza City's Thai restaurant and its vicinity on May 7, 2025. (AFP)

Saudi Arabia expressed on Wednesday its categorical rejection of Israel’s plan to seize control of the Gaza Strip, slamming its ongoing violation of international law and international humanitarian law.

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said Saudi Arabia rejects any attempts to expand settlements in Palestinian territories, stressing that Israeli authorities must abide by international resolutions.

It reiterated the Kingdom’s support for the Palestinian cause in line with international resolutions. It renewed its backing of the 2002 Arab peace initiative and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state according to the 1967 border with east Jerusalem as its capital.

Israel has approved a plan to intensify its operations in Gaza, which would include seizing the enclave, holding on to captured territories, forcibly displacing Palestinians to southern Gaza and taking control of aid distribution along with private security companies.

Israel is also calling up tens of thousands of reserve soldiers to carry out the plan. Israel says the plan will be gradual and will not be implemented until after US President Donald Trump wraps up his visit to the region later this month.