‘Right to self-defense cannot justify killing of tens of thousands of civilians,' says Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan at UN headquarters in New York
Saudi Arabia has announced the creation of an international alliance aimed at establishing a Palestinian state and implementing a two-state solution.
“Today, on behalf of the Arab and Islamic nations, along with our European partners, we announce the launch of the International Alliance to Implement the Two-State Solution. We invite you to join this initiative,” Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan told a Thursday ministerial meeting on the Palestinian issue and efforts for peace.
Speaking on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, he did not give further details on the alliance, but made the case for such an international effort.
Faisal decried the “catastrophic humanitarian crisis” caused by the war in Gaza and the “severe violations committed by Israeli occupying forces in the West Bank,” said the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
He described these actions as part of a “broader policy of occupation and violent extremism.”
"The right to self-defense cannot justify the killing of tens of thousands of civilians, systematic destruction, forced displacement, the use of starvation as a weapon of war, incitement to hatred, dehumanization, or the use of systematic torture, including sexual violence and other documented crimes according to United Nations reports," he said.
On escalating violence in the region, including Israel's continuing attacks on Lebanon, Faisal warned of a potential wider conflict: "We are witnessing a dangerous regional escalation that affects our brotherly nation of Lebanon and threatens to ignite a regional war that endangers our region and the entire world."
Faisal urged “an immediate halt to the ongoing war and all violations of international law.”
He also questioned the credibility of the international system, saying: “We must ask ourselves what remains of the credibility and legitimacy of the global order when we stand powerless to stop the war machine, while some insist on selectively applying international law in blatant violation of the most basic standards of equality, freedom, and human rights."
He reiterated that the establishment of an independent Palestinian state is a fundamental right and the foundation for peace, not merely a final outcome to be negotiated in a distant political process.
"We commend the countries that have recently recognized Palestine, and we call on all nations to show courage and take the same step, joining the international consensus represented by the 149 countries that have already recognized Palestine," he said.
Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in cross-border warfare since the start of Israel's war on Gaza, which has killed more than 41,500 people, most of them women and children, following a cross-border attack by Hamas last October.
* Writing by Ikram Kouachi
