Following discussions in Saudi Arabia on Monday, the latest stop on a trip aimed at calming a region agitated by the Israel-Hamas conflict, US senior diplomat Antony Blinken stated that there was “clear interest” in pursuing relations with Israel.
In addition, Blinken stated that every leader he met with throughout his six-nation tour—before arriving in Israel—had committed to collaborating with the United States to support Gaza’s long-term stability and rehabilitation.
Speaking after their meeting in an opulent tent in the old oasis village of Al Ula, he was Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia.
“We talked about (Israeli normalisation) actually on every stop, including of course here in Saudi Arabia,” he told reporters before flying to Tel Aviv.
“And I can tell you this, there’s a clear interest here in pursuing that.”
Tentative efforts towards potential ties between Saudi, home of Islam’s two holiest sites, and Israel were halted after the Israel-Hamas war flared just over three months ago.
According to an AFP assessment based on official Israeli estimates, the conflict began with Hamas’s unprecedented October 7 onslaught on Israel, which claimed roughly 1,140 lives, the majority of them civilians.
At least 22,835 Palestinians have died as a result of Israel’s ceaseless bombardment and ground invasion, the majority of them were women and children, according to the health ministry in Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas.
Saudi Arabia declined to sign the 2020 Abraham Accords, which recognized Israel, along with a small group of Arab nations that included its neighbor, the United Arab Emirates, and the US.
