BARCELONA: The Saudi deputy foreign minister, Waleed Elkhereiji, spoke at the Union for the Mediterranean’s ninth Regional Forum in Barcelona on Monday about the importance of efforts to enhance regional security, at a time when decisive and practical international action is required to halt a continuous cycle of violence and destruction.
He said the region is at a critical crossroads as a result of Israeli aggression in Gaza and Lebanon, which presents the international community with two options: to act effectively in support of international law and to reinforce the need for a two-state solution to the wider Israeli-Palestinian conflict, or to risk further escalations and deeper suffering that undermines the credibility of international efforts to maintain peace and security in the region.
Elkhereiji highlighted the severe nature of the humanitarian crises in Palestine and Lebanon, which he said were unbearable. He condemned Israel’s systematic targeting and forced displacement of innocent civilians, and the deliberate destruction of buildings and infrastructure, as blatant violations of international humanitarian law that continue to take place without any accountability or punishment.
He reiterated the strong condemnation by authorities in the Kingdom of attacks by Israeli forces against civilians and employees of the UN and other organizations, including the UN Relief and Works Agency and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon.
He said Saudi Arabia rejects any expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank, or actions by Israel that affect the legal and historical status of Jerusalem, and calls for an end to such activity to avoid prolonging the cycle of violence and destruction.
The minister said verbal condemnation is no longer sufficient in efforts to deter further violence, as he called for bolder and more decisive action from the international community. To that end, he said the Kingdom looks forward to hosting the first high-level meeting of the Global Coalition for the Two-State Solution in Riyadh on Oct. 30.
Elkhereiji said securing the implementation of a two-state solution is a collective international responsibility and offers the only viable path to a lasting peace, through recognition of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and an independent state.
This, he added, is a fundamental condition for ensuring stability in the region. He said the Kingdom remains committed to working with its partners to ensure such a solution does not remain a distant aspiration but becomes a tangible reality in the near future.
