Thousands of Palestinians fled to southern Gaza in search of refuge on Friday.
Riyadh:
Saudi Arabia on Friday denounced the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza and attacks on “defenceless civilians”, its strongest language criticising Israel since the war broke out.
Riyadh “affirms its categorical rejection of calls for the forced displacement of the Palestinian people from Gaza, and its condemnation of the continued targeting of defenceless civilians there,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
Thousands of Palestinians fled to southern Gaza in search of refuge on Friday after Israel called for over a million of them to evacuate the north of the blockaded enclave before an expected ground offensive.
It comes amid continued strikes on the strip in retaliation for a surprise weekend attack by Hamas, the deadliest in Israel’s history.
The Saudi statement was published as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Riyadh as part of a six-nation tour of Arab countries.
US officials have appeared to backtrack on earlier efforts to let Gazans flee to neighbouring Egypt, saying they did not see wide support, and have instead promoted the idea of “safe areas” within Gaza.
The war has dealt a blow to attempts by the administration of US President Joe Biden to facilitate normalisation between Israel and Saudi Arabia, home of the two holiest sites in Islam.
Saudi Arabia, which has never recognised Israel, has issued several statements in the past week affirming its support for the Palestinian cause.
On Thursday, Saudi state media reported that de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed “the current military situation in Gaza and its environs” with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. It was the first call between the two leaders since their countries announced a surprise China-brokered rapprochement in March after seven years of severed ties.
Friday’s foreign ministry statement also included a call for the international community “to quickly move to stop all forms of military escalation against civilians, prevent a humanitarian catastrophe, and provide the necessary relief and medical needs for the residents of Gaza.”
“Depriving them of these basic requirements for a decent life is a violation of international humanitarian law and will exacerbate the depth of the crisis and suffering that this region is witnessing,” it added.
At the Grand Mosque in Mecca on Friday, the imam, Sheikh Osama bin Abdullah Khayyat, teared up while leading prayers, saying: “May God protect the Muslims in Palestine.”
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