Advertisement

Saudi Arabia reiterates support for Palestinian state, seemingly rejecting Trump's Gaza proposal

Palestinians, who are displaced to the south at Israel's order during the war, make their way back to their homes in northern Gaza amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in the central Gaza Strip, on January 27. On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump proposed for the United States to take over control of Gaza. Photo by Anas Deeb/UPI
Palestinians, who are displaced to the south at Israel's order during the war, make their way back to their homes in northern Gaza amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in the central Gaza Strip, on January 27. On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump proposed for the United States to take over control of Gaza. Photo by Anas Deeb/UPI | License Photo

Feb. 5 (UPI) -- Saudi Arabia on Tuesday reiterated that it will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without the creation of an independent Palestinian state, seemingly rejecting President Donald Trump's controversial proposal for the United States to take control of the Gaza Strip.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirms that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's position on the establishment of a Palestinian state is firm and unwavering," it said.

Advertisement

The statement continues that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who also serves as prime minister, "reaffirms its unequivocal rejection of any infringement on the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, whether through Israeli settlement policies, land annexation or attempts to displace the Palestinian people from their land."

Though it made no direct reference to the United States or Trump, the statement is widely seen as a rejection of the American leader's proposal that he announced Tuesday during a press conference in Washington, D.C., with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in which he suggested that Saudi Arabia would support the plan, despite the lack of a Palestinian state.

Advertisement

"Saudi Arabia is going to be very helpful, and they have been very helpful. They want peace in the Middle East. It's very simple. We know their leader and their leaders very well -- wonderful people -- and they want peace in the Middle East," the American leader said.

However, his plan for Gaza as not entirely clear.

He said the United States would take over the Palestinian enclave -- which he called a "demolition site" following it being a theatre for the Hamas-Israel war for more than a year -- and develop it.

The roughly 2 million Palestinians who call Gaza home will be relocated to "various domains" or one large site established by "neighboring countries of great wealth."

"They're going to have peace. They are not going to be shot at and killed and destroyed like this civilization of wonderful people has had to endure," he said. "The only reason the Palestinians want to go back to Gaza is they have no alternative."

The United States will then "own" Gaza, he said. The United States will deal with unexploded ordinances, level buildings and create "an economic development that will supply unlimited number of jobs and housing for people of the area."

Advertisement

During his first administration, Trump negotiated the Abraham Accords, normalizing relations between Arab nations and Israel. Saudi Arabia was seemingly near to signing onto the accords when the Israel-Hamas war erupted on Oct. 7, 2023.

The fighting stopped with a fragile cease-fire mid-January, but only after more than 45,000 Palestinians were killed and Gaza leveled.

In its statement Wednesday, Saudi Arabia emphasized its position on establishing relations with Israel was "non-negotiable and not subject to compromises."

"Achieving lasting and just peace is impossible without the Palestinian people obtaining their legitimate rights in accordance with international resolutions, as has been previously clarified to both the former and current U.S. administrations," it said.

Latest Headlines