Palestine: Saudi Arabia pushes for two-state solution, lashes Israel over use of systemic torture in Gaza

Saudi Arabia, along with its international partners, has formed a global coalition to advance a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan announced on Thursday.

The initiative is rooted in the belief that lasting peace can only be achieved through the establishment of a Palestinian state, according to the top Saudi diplomat.

“What we are trying to do is build a coalition aimed at implementing the two-state solution, and that requires certain building blocks, including capacity building within the Palestinian Authority,” Prince Farhan said.

As part of the plan, the Kingdom and its allies will hold high-level meetings in Riyadh, Brussels, Cairo, Oslo, Amman, and Ankara.

“I fail to understand how the continuation of war can be the only option,” Prince Farhan said, reiterating Saudi Arabia’s call for a ceasefire and diplomatic efforts to take precedence.

Commenting on the Israeli aggression on Gaza and the usual right to self-defense claim, the Saudi envoy said “The right to self-defense cannot justify the killing of tens of thousands of civilians, systematic destruction, forced displacement, the use of starvation as a weapon of war, incitement to hatred, dehumanization, or the use of systematic torture, including sexual violence and other documented crimes according to United Nations reports.”

Concerns are growing among world powers that the conflict could further escalate, especially if Iran becomes involved.

The conflict, which has recently escalated following Hamas’ attack on Israeli settlements on October 7, killing nearly 1,200 people, has seen Israel retaliate with devastating airstrikes on Gaza, resulting in over 41,000 Palestinian deaths. The fighting has also spread to southern Lebanon, where Israeli forces are targeting Hezbollah strongholds.