Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah warned on Thursday that the situation in the Gaza Strip does not only affect the Palestinians alone, but the entire region and is leading to more tensions, most notably in southern Lebanon.
He made his remarks at a panel discussion at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) in Madrid.
Held under the title "Wars and Shadow Wars: What are Europe's Options in the Middle East?", the discussion tackled the latest developments in Gaza and the importance of continuing international efforts to reach an immediately ceasefire and allow more humanitarian aid to enter.
Prince Faisal stressed the importance of continuing the work to reach an immediate ceasefire, noting that the majority of the international community agrees that the lasting and just solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is the two-state solution.
However, they stand idly by against issues that may undermine the two-state solution, such as Israel's continued settlement expansion.
He explained that what European countries, including Spain, are doing to support the peace process and push towards the two-state solution is very important.
The least the European countries can do is condemn Israel's failure to abide by its commitments and then take stricter steps such as imposing sanctions on some officials who violate human rights, he added.
The Palestinian people have the full right to self-determination, and they deserve an independent state recognized internationally, he went on to say.
On Yemen, Prince Faisal underscored the continued support for political dialogue, warning that the situation in the country is still difficult, especially on the economic level.
