Saudi Gazette report

NEW YORK — Saudi Arabia reiterated its commitment to continue exerting efforts to end the war in Gaza and to realize the establishment of a Palestinian state.

In a speech, delivered on behalf of Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, at the high-level international conference on the implementation of the two-state solution, which began in New York on Monday, Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan called on all countries to recognize the State of Palestine.

He described the conference, co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France, as a historic opportunity for achieving peace in the Middle East region.

Praising France for its official recognition of Palestine, Prince Faisal emphasized that France's position reflects the international will to uphold the rights of the Palestinians. “France's historic move reflects the international community's desire to achieve justice for the Palestinians. The longstanding position of France and the broad international support for the adoption of the New York Declaration on the settlement of the Palestinian issue reflect the international community's will to uphold the rights of the Palestinian people,” he said.

Prince Faisal said that aggressive practices being perpetrated by Israel in the occupied territories undermine peace in the region. French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Monday his country's recognition of Palestine, joining the ranks of Britain, Canada, Australia, and Portugal. The number of countries that have officially recognized the State of Palestine has steadily increased, reaching over 150.