Two-state solution ‘only path to justice’ in Palestine, says Saudi envoy to US

Princess Reema bint Bandar, Saudi ambassador to the US. (AFP/File)
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Updated 29 July 2025
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Two-state solution ‘only path to justice’ in Palestine, says Saudi envoy to US

  • Arab Peace Initiative is key, says Princess Reema bint Bandar
  • Call comes amid UN conference led by Kingdom and France

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the US said on Tuesday that the two-state solution to the Palestine-Israel crisis remains the “only path to justice, security, and stability,” as the Kingdom and France lead a major UN conference on the situation.

Princess Reema bint Bandar wrote on X: “The suffering in Gaza, the despair in the West Bank, and the insecurity in Israel demand a new reality.”

She said the Kingdom has long backed a two-state solution as the only viable path to lasting peace.

“This is not merely a diplomatic position; it is a moral, strategic, and practical necessity grounded in justice and the pursuit of a shared future,” she wrote.

Saudi Arabia and France led a high-level international conference on the peaceful settlement of the Palestinian issue and the implementation of the two-state solution at the UN on Monday.

Princess Reema stated: “The two-state solution is essential because it addresses the root causes of the conflict: the denial of Palestinian self-determination and the insecurity that fuels extremism on both sides.”

“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has championed a peaceful resolution for decades, known as the Arab Peace Initiative, based on the conviction that peace in the region is inseparable from justice for Palestinians.”

Israel has been conducting a devastating military assault on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023.

This came after Hamas attacked settlements near the Gaza border, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 people and around 250 hostages being taken back to the enclave by the group.

The Israeli regime has subsequently killed over 60,000 people, and displaced millions, with Tel Aviv facing charges of war crimes and genocide.

Israel blocked aid to Gaza for 11 weeks earlier this year and has been killing hungry civilians looking for food at aid centers run by an Israeli-backed foundation.

UN vehicles began reentering the territory over the weekend and aid drops have also restarted, after an international outcry over Israel’s deliberate starvation of the civilian population in Gaza.

“The humanitarian toll is staggering: 1.9 million Palestinians are displaced, and famine looms as aid trickles in. A two-state solution is the only framework that can end the bloodshed, rebuild Gaza, and create a sustainable future,” Princess Reema wrote.

“The war in Gaza and the broader conflicts in the region underscore the urgency of this moment.”


UN chief visits KSrelief HQ in Riyadh

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UN chief visits KSrelief HQ in Riyadh

  • Guterres met Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Rabeeah, Advisor at the Royal Court and Supervisor General of KSrelief, along with senior officials

RIYADH: UN Secretary-General António Guterres visited the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) in Riyadh on Tuesday, where he held talks on strengthening cooperation between the UN and the Kingdom’s leading humanitarian institution.

Guterres met Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Rabeeah, Advisor at the Royal Court and Supervisor General of KSrelief, along with senior officials, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Saudi Arabia’s permanent representative to the UN in New York, Abdulaziz bin Mohammed Al-Wasil, was also present.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed humanitarian and relief priorities, as well as ways to expand collaboration between KSrelief and various UN agencies, SPA added.

Officials also presented an overview of the center’s expanding global portfolio, which has now reached 3,881 projects across 109 countries, worth more than $8 billion.

Projects highlighted included the artificial limbs programme, the Masam demining initiative in Yemen, the Kafak scheme to reintegrate Yemeni children formerly associated with armed conflict, KSrelief’s voluntary medical missions, and its conjoined twins programme.

The center’s work in digital relief platforms, international documentation and registration, and other humanitarian initiatives was also showcased.

Guterres later toured KSrelief’s permanent exhibition, featuring an interactive map of beneficiary countries, multimedia human-interest stories, volunteer program displays, and a “messages of hope” corner, where he also used virtual-reality headsets offering immersive depictions of refugee and displaced-person experiences.

The UN chief met Saudi medical volunteers involved in KSrelief missions abroad, hearing their accounts of delivering assistance on the ground.

He then visited offices of partner organizations and international bodies housed within the center, receiving briefings on their joint programmes with KSrelief.