Foreign Minister Faisal: AS-Saudi Arabia Agrees To End Gaza War And Free All Hostages

JAKARTA - Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud said Saudi Arabia and the United States "agreed to end the war in Gaza and free all hostages", while speaking to reporters after the Gulf summit.

He said the US Government was willing to make "very bold decisions" to push for a ceasefire in Gaza, and "open the way to resolve the wider Palestinian issue," including "moving towards, expected, a Palestinian state," according to a New York Times report, as reported by The Times of Israel May 14.

On the other hand, Uncle Sam's country did not issue a similar statement regarding any agreement reached with Saudi Arabia on the war in Gaza.

Prince Faisal also said, "We need to reach a ceasefire in Gaza as soon as possible," adding "without a ceasefire in Gaza, it would be difficult to supply aid" to the enclave.

The latest conflict in the Gaza Strip broke out when a Palestinian militant group led by Hamas attacked Israel's southern region on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and another 251 being held hostage, according to Israeli calculations.

In response, Israel carried out blockades, airstrikes, and military operations in the Gaza Strip.

Both sides had a ceasefire from January 19 to March 18, as well as exchanges of hostages and detainees on both sides. Israel resumed its attack after the end of the ceasefire.

Meanwhile, a medical source in Gaza on Wednesday confirmed the death toll from Palestine since October 2023 has reached 52.928 and 119.846 others injured, the majority of children and women, quoted from WAFA.

According to the same source, the death toll since the resumption of Israeli genocide on March 18 after a two-month ceasefire has also risen to 2,799, with nearly 7,805 reportedly injured.