Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman welcomes US President Joe Biden to the Al Salman Palace in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, this past July 15th. This image was provided courtesy of the Saudi Royal Court, captured by Bandar Algaloud/File Photo, illustrating the president’s arrival.
In Washington, on October 24th, the White House reported that a call took place between the US President and the Saudi Arabian Crown Prince, during which discussion centered on precluding the Israel-Hamas dispute from intensifying.
It was agreed upon in this dialogue to foster wider diplomatic endeavours “geared toward preserving stability throughout the region and staving off escalation of the conflict,” revealed the White House. A commitment was made for the leaders to continue closely synchronizing their actions.
During their conversation, President Biden, as well as the Saudi prince, expressed appreciation for the delivery of humanitarian aid from Egypt into Gaza. Furthermore, it was acknowledged by both parties that a heightened effort is required to guarantee constant access to essential provisions and medical care for the civilian population, the White House confirmed.
The pair praised the continuation of endeavours to free hostages detained by Hamas, with both issuing a call for prompt liberation, the White House added.
Building on already existing collaboration between Saudi Arabia and the US, the leaders confirmed their commitment to facilitate “longlasting peace” between Israelis and Palestinians following the resolution of the current crisis, stated the White House.
According to President Biden and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, they suspect that a significant impetus for the Hamas attack on Israel, on October 7, was to obstruct potential normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. This assault resulted in more than 1,400 fatalities.
Back in 2020, Saudi Arabia, site of the two foremost Islamic holy places, green-lighted its Gulf counterparts, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, setting up connections with Israel. This occurred under the governance of then US President, Donald Trump.
However, Riyadh has yet to emulate this move, proposing instead that Palestinian statehood ambitions need to be dealt with at the forefront.
Among the Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, there is concern that a protracted conflict could impact their national security. Hence their advocacy for a ceasefire in Gaza and a termination of the encirclement of the strip.
While previously advocating for a “humanitarian rest period” to facilitate aid deliveries, the United States has yet to back a formal ceasefire at this current point. White House national security council spokesman, John Kirby, suggested that an immediate ceasefire may prove advantageous to Hamas.
Since the assault on October 7, Israel’s heavy bombardment on Gaza, overseen by Hamas, has resulted in beyond 5,700 Palestinian casualties, of who over 2,300 are children according to officials in Gaza.
Politically under the purview of Hamas since 2007, Gaza is a strip of land 45 km (25 miles) long and home to a population of 2.3 million. However, it remains under blockade from Israel.
This report was brought to you by the duo of Kanishka Singh and Ismail Shakil, with editorial assistance from Chris Reese, Chizu Nomiyama, and Cynthia Osterman.
