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The statement issued by the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday, which welcomed the Gaza agreement and the beginning of the implementation of the first phase of US President Donald Trump’s proposal, indicates that Riyadh is treating the ceasefire as a transition point to a new phase. This phase is expected to see a halt to the genocide committed by Israeli occupation forces over the past two years and open a path toward managing the Strip in the aftermath of a war that has left massive destruction and caused a famine that the occupation authorities used as a weapon and as collective punishment against the Palestinians.
The Saudi statement emphasized that Trump’s proposal seeks to “pave the way for a comprehensive and just peace.” This, from Riyadh’s perspective, means that the Palestinians must have their independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the 1967 borders. This state has been called for by a large international coalition, which Saudi Arabia, in cooperation with France, worked to give strong diplomatic momentum, as manifested in the New York conference.
Although the Kingdom is aware that the extremist Israeli government insists on its position rejecting the two-state solution, Saudi policy appears steadfast and is anchored in international legitimacy. For this reason, last week’s statement stressed the importance of alleviating “the humanitarian suffering of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip,” achieving “a full Israeli withdrawal,” restoring “security and stability,” and initiating “practical steps to achieve a just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution.”