LONDON: The Middle East is facing its greatest threat of regional war since 1973, the Saudi ambassador to the UK has warned.
On the Sky News program “The World with Yalda Hakim,” Prince Khalid bin Bandar said “renewed efforts” are required to end the bloodshed.
“I’d like to say I was optimistic, but it’s difficult to see where that optimism would come from,” he added.
“The situation on the ground is getting worse and worse ... I think this is the closest we’ve been to a regional war since 1973.”
The Israel-Palestine conflict is at the heart of the tensions, and both sides have a responsibility to avoid escalation, Prince Khalid added.
“The Israeli-Palestinian problem affects people all around the world in a way that very few conflicts have,” he said.
“You see in protests (around the world), everyone is affected and motivated by what’s happening on the ground.
“So Israelis and Palestinians have a responsibility — whether they like it or not — to the world.”
The conflict could have global consequences, requiring the international community to “push harder” in a bid to end the fighting, he said.
“A conflict that spreads beyond where it is, spreads to the region. If it spreads to the region, it spreads to the world, and that’s not a scenario that anybody wants to see,” he added.
“It’s time we put renewed efforts in to stop the fighting … We need more of the international community to push harder.”
His comments come as Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced a “new phase” in fighting against Hezbollah following the detonation of the Lebanese group’s communication devices this week.
Senior international figures, including the UN secretary-general, have warned that the Israeli attacks could precede a larger operation in Lebanon.
Hezbollah has vowed to respond to the attacks, which killed more than 30 people and injured thousands.
On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington is assessing how the attacks in Lebanon could affect ceasefire negotiations in the Gaza war.
