Calling Israel's Actions in Gaza More Than Self-Defense, Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister: International Community Turns a Blind Eye

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's meeting with the OIC delegation. (Source: SPA)

JAKARTA - Saudi Arabia's Minister of Foreign Affairs said there is a double standard in the conflict in Gaza, with the international community turning a blind eye to Israel's actions in the Palestinian enclave which are considered to be more than self-defense.

This was conveyed by Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud at a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) delegation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, on Tuesday.

Prince Faisal said that self-defense was not a justification for what the Israeli military was doing in Gaza.

"We can see crimes against civilians in the Gaza Strip piling up and innocent blood being shed, hospitals and civilian infrastructure facilities being destroyed. Self-defense cannot justify these actions," he said, as reported by TASS, November 22.

He further said that the international community's blind eye to Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip shows that there are double standards.

"We also see double standards in the position of the international community, which turns a blind eye to Israel's actions," said Prince Faisal.

Quoting SPA, participating in the OIC delegation at the meeting in Moscow were the Secretary of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Hissein Ibrahim Taha, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and Foreign Minister Ayman Al-Safadi.

Separately, the death toll of Palestinians due to Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip has jumped to 14,128, the Ministry of Health in the Palestinian enclave said on Tuesday.

"​​​​The victims included more than 5,840 children and 3,920 women," the ministry added in a statement, quoted by Anadolu.

Meanwhile, the death toll on the Israeli side as a result of Hamas' attack on the southern region of the country on October 7 was around 1,200, according to official figures.​​​​​​ This triggered the conflict in Gaza which has entered its seventh week.

#Moscow | under the chairmanship of HH the Foreign Minister Prince @FaisalbinFarhan, the ministerial committee assigned by the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit holds an official meeting with the Foreign Minister of Russia.

📄: https://t.co/tD5wWQ8rRK pic.twitter.com/bKO1g05SIJ

— Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 (@KSAmofaEN) November 21, 2023