Riyadh's ambassador to London: Saudi Arabia is still interested in a normalization deal with Israel after the end of the war in Gaza

Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Britain said the kingdom is interested in normalizing relations with Israel after the war in Gaza, but any agreement must lead to the creation of a Palestinian state.

Riyadh's ambassador to London: Saudi Arabia is still interested in a normalization deal with Israel after the end of the war in Gaza.

The Saudi ambassador to London stressed that “there is absolute interest” among his country’s leaders to reach an agreement, adding that the deal “was close, there is no doubt. For us, the final point certainly included nothing less than an independent State of Palestine. Therefore, while we are still, after. October 7, we believe in normalization, but this does not mean that it will come at the expense of the Palestinian people.”

He added: "We were close to normalization, and therefore close to a Palestinian state. One does not come without the other. The sequence and how to manage it, this is what was discussed."

He also said that he would like to see Britain "moderate its position and treat Israel the same way it treats everyone else," adding that "the blind spot towards Israel is a real problem because it provides a blind spot for peace."

In late September, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced in an American television interview that “we are getting closer every day” to reaching an agreement.

Bin Salman stressed that the Palestinian issue is “very important” and that any agreement must “facilitate the lives of the Palestinians,” but he did not declare that this would depend on progress towards establishing an independent Palestinian state.

Saudi officials reportedly asked the United States to stop trilateral discussions a few days after the start of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip on October 7.

After his meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed on Monday, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken told reporters that he raised the issue of normalization on the agenda of the meeting, and added: “There is a clear interest here in pursuing that, but that will require ending the conflict in Gaza, and it is also clear that it will require the presence of a practical path.” To establish a Palestinian state.”

Abu Hamza: We are still continuing the battle of steadfastness in the war of extermination imposed on our defenseless people

The military spokesman for the Al-Quds Brigades, Abu Hamza, confirmed on Tuesday that the resistance is still continuing the battle of steadfastness in the “war of extermination” imposed on the defenseless Palestinian people.

Abu Hamza stressed that: “The Palestinian people and their proud resistance are stronger and greater than all the miserable attempts at liquidation, and the enemy’s goal of eliminating the resistance has not and will not be achieved even if the war continues endlessly.”

The military spokesman pointed out that fighters from the "Jerusalem Brigades" shot down an Israeli intelligence plane in the sky of the city of Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip, adding, "We eliminated a special Zionist force that barricaded itself in a building and achieved direct hits."

Abu Hamza said, addressing a message to the Israeli public: “We say to the Zionist settlers that Netanyahu’s invitation to you about your imminent return to the Gaza envelope is a mirage,” stressing that “in the end, Netanyahu will have no choice but to accept what the field demands.”

In a related context, Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari announced yesterday, Monday, the beginning of the transition to a less intense phase of operations in the Gaza Strip, the use of a smaller number of soldiers and a reduction in the number of air strikes on the Strip.

Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip have been continuing since October 7, 2023, and the Israeli war on Gaza has, so far, resulted in more than 23,000 deaths and about 60,000 injuries. As announced by the Palestinian Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip earlier today.