Saudi foreign minister warns against Israeli offensive in Gaza’s Rafah

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on March 5 warned against potential Israeli military actions in Rafah south of the Gaza Strip and reiterated the Kingdom’s opposition to the displacement of Palestinians from the territory.

Prince Faisal’s remarks came during an extraordinary session of the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) held in Jeddah, focusing on the ongoing war in Gaza between Hamas and Israel which began in October, per Al Arabiya.

Highlighting a growing international consensus, the Saudi minister noted an increasing number of countries advocating for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

Prince Faisal emphasized the need to establish a Palestinian state and to endorse the two-state solution as the path forward.

More than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel’s assault, launched after Hamas-led attacks that killed 1,200 people on October 7.

Prince Faisal also stressed support for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA, and warned against attempts to dissolve the agency.

He warned that dismantling UNRWA would further exacerbate the suffering of civilians in Gaza and urged countries that had suspended their funding for the agency to reverse their decision.

Several nations halted their financial support for UNRWA following Israeli accusations that agency employees were involved in the October 7 attacks on Israel.

Philippe Lazzarini, the head of UNRWA, on Monday warned of “a deliberate and concerted campaign” aimed at shutting down the agency’s operations.