Riyadh - SAU
Riyadh, April 3, 2018 (AFP) -Saudi King Salman reaffirmed support for Palestinians to US President Donald Trump, state media said Tuesday, after his son and heir apparent said Israel has a "right" to a homeland.
The king "reaffirmed the kingdom's steadfast position towards the Palestinian issue and the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital," the official Saudi Press Agency said.
The king also emphasised the need to advance the Middle East peace process in a phone call with Trump, which came after Israeli forces killed 17 Palestinians last week during a demonstration on its border with Gaza.
Saudi Arabia and Israel have no formal diplomatic relations, but behind the scenes their ties appear to have improved in recent years against what they see as a common Iranian threat.
Israel's conflict with the Palestinians has long proved an obstacle to a full rapprochement, however, as Riyadh still supports the Palestinian claim to sovereignty.
But Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman indicated a notable shift in the kingdom's position in an interview published Monday with US news magazine The Atlantic.
The prince was asked by the magazine whether the "Jewish people have a right to a nation-state in at least part of their ancestral homeland?"
"I believe that each people, anywhere, has a right to live in their peaceful nation," said the prince, who is on a three-week US tour.
"I believe the Palestinians and the Israelis have the right to have their own land," he added.
"But we have to have a peace agreement to assure the stability for everyone and to have normal relations."
Since 2002, Saudi Arabia has been the main sponsor of the Arab Peace Initiative, which envisions a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
No senior Saudi official is known to have previously accepted that Israel has a right to any land beyond the practical need to secure a lasting deal.
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Saudi king reaffirms support for Palestinians after Israel comments
Saudi king reaffirms support for Palestinians after Israel comments
US believes Hamas disarmament comes along with some sort of amnesty, US official says
- The Israeli embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a question on whether Israel would agree to amnesty for Hamas members if they give up their weapons
WASHINGTON: The United States believes disarmament by Hamas militants in Gaza comes along with some sort of amnesty for the Palestinian group, a US official said on Monday.
The official, speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity, spoke to mark the return of the remains of the last Israeli hostage held by Hamas. Israel and the United States are pressuring Hamas to disarm as part of a plan in which Gaza will be redeveloped.
The official said there is confidence among US officials that Hamas will disarm.
“We are listening to many of their people talk about disarming. We think they’re going to. If they don’t disarm, then they’ve breached the deal. We think disarmament comes along with some sort of amnesty and candidly we think we have a very, very good program to disarm,” the official said.
The Israeli embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a question on whether Israel would agree to amnesty for Hamas members if they give up their weapons.
Under President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza plan, once all hostages are returned, Hamas members who commit to peaceful co-existence and to decommission their weapons will be given amnesty. Members of Hamas who wish to leave Gaza will be provided safe passage to receiving countries, under the plan.
The Israeli military said on Monday that the remains of the last remaining hostage held in Gaza, police officer Ran Gvili who was held hostage for more than 840 days — have been identified and will be returned for burial.
