Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud has sharply criticized Israel's decision to deny a delegation of Arab foreign ministers access to the occupied West Bank, saying the refusal shows "the Israeli government's extremism and its rejection of peace," Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
The statement was made during a joint press conference in Amman with the foreign ministers of Jordan, Egypt and Bahrain as part of the Arab contact group that was to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the Palestinian administrative capital of Ramallah.
"Israel's refusal to allow our delegation to the West Bank is further confirmation of its extreme position and lack of desire for peace. This only motivates us to strengthen our diplomatic efforts internationally against this arrogance," the Saudi foreign minister said.
Earlier, Israel announced that it would not allow a meeting scheduled for yesterday with the participation of the foreign ministers of Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE. According to Israeli sources, the purpose of this meeting is a provocation with the aim of discussing a Palestinian state.
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said that the Israeli ban was further evidence that Israel was "sabotaging every possibility for a just and comprehensive peace solution". He stressed that this behavior is detrimental to efforts to reach an Arab-Israeli agreement.
An international conference will be held in New York from June 17 to 20 under the chairmanship of France and Saudi Arabia to discuss the issue of the creation of a Palestinian state.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelati said that the forum will also consider security measures after a possible ceasefire in Gaza, as well as plans for the reconstruction of the region. The aim is to ensure that Palestinians are not displaced and to prevent Israeli attempts to displace them.
Egypt and Qatar continue their active efforts to reconcile points of view and resolve contentious issues in order to reach a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, based on the proposal of US Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff, according to a joint statement published by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, BTA reported.
Cairo and Doha call on all parties to support the efforts of the mediators to end the crisis in the strip and restore stability in the region. The two sides expect a quick 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, which would lead to a permanent ceasefire agreement and an end to the unprecedented humanitarian crisis in the enclave, opening the crossings and allowing humanitarian aid to enter.
Egypt and Qatar say this is the path to a complete end to the war and the start of the reconstruction of Gaza in accordance with the plan adopted at the extraordinary summit of Arab countries in Cairo on March 4 this year.
Israel accepted Steve Witkoff's proposal, while "Hamas" said it had responded with demands for amendments. The US special envoy described the response of the Palestinian radical movement as "completely unacceptable".