On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia strongly condemned Israeli escalation in the city of Jenin that led to the death of six Palestinians and injured dozens of others.
In a statement, the Saudi Arabia Foreign Ministry expressed the Kingdom’s deep concern over the Israeli escalation against Palestinian citizens, particularly the most recent raids in Jenin.
The Ministry stressed its categorical rejection of the severe violations committed by Israeli forces, extending condolences to the families of the victims and expressing wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured.
News agency Associated Press reported that Israeli military forces raided a refugee camp in the northern West Bank which left six Palestinians dead, including a 15-year-old boy, while injuring more than 90, according to Palestinian health officials.
AP originally reported five Palestinian fatalities, but the toll increased when 48-year-old Amjad Abu Jaas succumbed to wounds sustained in a gun battle. Eight Israeli soldiers were wounded while a dozen Palestinians were left in critical condition.
Last month the Kingdom condemned the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and reiterated Saudi Arabia’s firm position toward the Palestinian people.
Thousands of Jewish nationalists, some of them chanting “Death to Arabs” and other slogans, paraded through the main Palestinian thoroughfare of Jerusalem’s Old City on Thursday.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Gulf Cooperation Council have reiterated their support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
The Saudi foreign minister spoke about the Kingdom’s stance on the Palestinian cause during a panel discussion on “The Geostrategic Role of Middle Eastern Countries” at the Munich Security Conference in February.
Prince Faisal bin Farhan said: “We have a moral responsibility to try to find a pathway to peace because the suffering that will come both in Palestine and in Israel if we don’t find a pathway to peace is indescribable.
“Therefore, we will do what we can. We will engage with whomever we can to find that pathway.”
