Saudi Arabia's International Alliance Will Urge Solutions For 2 Countries To End Israel-Palestinian Conflict

JAKARTA - Saudi Arabia's international alliance will push for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said the international alliance meeting would soon be held. Its formation is based on beliefs related to the permanent resolution of the conflict that can only be achieved through the formation of a Palestinian state.

"What we are trying to do is build a coalition that aims to implement a two-state solution and it requires several basic components, including capacity development within the Palestinian authorities," Prince Farhan said, quoted by Arab News, Friday, September 27.

He said Saudi Arabia would hold meetings with the international alliance in Riyadh, Brussels, Cairo, Oslo, Amman, and Ankara as part of the plan.

"I don't understand how the continuation of the war can be the only option," he said.

"There must be other options, and therefore I will reaffirm our call for a ceasefire and for diplomacy to win," Prince Farhan continued.

The decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict has hit a boiling point after Hamas militants attacked Israeli settlements on October 7, 2023, killing nearly 1,200 people.

Israel retaliated by carrying out an invasion of Palestine for nearly 1 year, destroying much of Gaza's territory and killing more than 41,495 people.

The conflict is now spreading to Lebanon. Israel has attacked the southern part of Lebanon, where the Iran-backed Hezbollah group is located.

The international community is concerned that the escalation of the conflict will increase, especially if Iran is involved.

The call for the United States, France and its allies to stop Israeli attacks on Lebanon has been rejected by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, September 26.

Responding to Netanyahu's response, Prince Farhan admitted that he couldn't understand it. "I was surprised," he added.