Saudi Arabia brings Palestinian-Israeli two-state solution 'back to the forefront'

Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan says greatest need is to alleviate humanitarian crisis in Palestinian territories

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan warned of 'continuing escalation in the occupied territories'. Reuters

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Monday said that there would be no solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict without an independent Palestine.

“After many lost hope in the Palestinian cause, today, we bring the issue of a Palestinian-Israeli two-state solution back to the forefront,” Prince Faisal said.

He added that there was “continuing escalation in the occupied territories”.

The Foreign Minister was speaking to the media after heading a ministerial-level meeting in New York aimed at building peace in the Middle East.

“We seek to restart the conversation about the two-state solution, and we have fully co-ordinated with our brothers in Palestine to ensure the reversal of the situation,” he said.

He said the meeting is to revitalise peace efforts and added that the greatest need was to alleviate the suffering amid the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territories.

A World Bank report released on Monday said that Israeli controls on the movement of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank are preventing them from receiving life-saving health treatments.

Israel occupied the West Bank in 1967 after the Arab-Israeli war. The area is home to about three million Palestinians.

The meeting was attended by Secretary General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, the EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Jordan Ayman Al Safadi.

Seventy countries as well as a number of international organisations also took part in the meeting.