WNAM MONITORING: Saudi Arabia warned on Saturday that the international community’s failure to rein in Israeli genocide in the Gaza Strip threatens to undermine regional and global stability, urging decisive action to halt the conflict and support Palestinian statehood.
“The international community’s inaction in restraining the (Israeli) aggression on Gaza will contribute to destabilizing security and stability regionally and globally,” Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan told the 80th UN General Assembly in New York.
He urged the UN to take a stronger role in conflict resolution, saying the world body “needs to become more efficient in reducing conflicts and crises.”
“We must all act seriously to stop the aggression and guarantee the delivery of aid to Gaza’s residents,” he said, pressing for urgent international measures to protect civilians and open humanitarian corridors.
Since March 2, Israel has fully closed Gaza’s crossings, blocking food and aid convoys, and deepening famine conditions in the enclave. Only limited supplies are sporadically allowed in, and many are looted by armed groups that Gaza authorities accuse Israel of protecting.
The Israeli army has killed nearly 66,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza since early October 2023. The relentless bombardment has rendered the enclave uninhabitable and led to starvation and the spread of diseases.
Prince Faisal urged all countries to recognize the State of Palestine and support efforts to achieve a two-state solution.
The move came one day after Britain, Canada, Australia and Portugal announced recognition of Palestine, raising the number of countries to 159 out of 193 UN member states that have announced recognition of a Palestinian State since the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat proclaimed the state from Algiers in 1988.
On Syria, he praised “the steps taken by the Syrian Arab Republic to strengthen security and stability in the country,” rejecting Israeli attacks on Syrian territory and sovereignty.
The Syrian government has intensified efforts to maintain security in the country since the ouster of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024, after 24 years in power.
The Saudi top diplomat reaffirmed his country’s support for Lebanon, backing the government’s efforts to implement the 1989 Taif Agreement and ensure that weapons remain under state control.
Prince Faisal also urged the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from all Lebanese territories, stressing the importance of strengthening Lebanese sovereignty.
Earlier this month, Lebanon’s government approved the army’s plan to centralize all weapons under state control. It welcomed the plan and decided to keep its content and deliberations confidential.
On Aug. 5, the Cabinet formally adopted the policy to restrict all arms, including Hezbollah’s arsenal, to the state. It tasked the army with developing and implementing the plan by the end of 2025.
A ceasefire was reached in November 2024 following a year-long cycle of cross-border attacks between Hezbollah and Israel that began in October 2023. The conflict escalated into a full-scale Israeli offensive by September 2024, resulting in more than 4,000 deaths and around 17,000 injuries.
Under the terms of the truce, Israel was supposed to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon by January 2025. But it has only partially pulled out troops and continues to maintain a military presence at five border outposts.
