Saudi FM says Palestinian Authority 'capable' of controlling Gaza with support
On the sidelines of Munich Security Conference, and backdrop of Houthi attacks, Prince Faisal bin Farhan states 'Iran doesn't want broader war'
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan provided an in-depth interview on the Gaza war and regional tensions, speaking to France24 on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference (MSC), particularly about the Palestinian Authority (PA) as a partner for post-war plans.
“The Palestinian Authority is capable, with the support of the international community, of controlling the West Bank and Gaza Strip,” the Saudi foreign minister insisted, adding “this requires a real path to establishing a Palestinian state.”
“It is not only Saudi Arabia that is interested in the matter, but all Arab countries will discuss this in the context of a broad treatment of the Palestinian issue, and if we address that, the issue of how to manage Gaza will become much easier,” the foreign minister explained.
In terms of Israel, the prince expressed Saudi Arabia’s concerns that the possibility of Israeli military operations in Rafah, south of Gaza, were “completely unacceptable.”
Faisal bin Farhan stressed, "From the beginning, we said that we need a ceasefire, and we need that now more than ever,” adding that "we must address the issue of the entry of humanitarian aid."
“It is unacceptable for less than 100 trucks to enter Gaza daily,” he reiterated concerns that humanitarian aid wasn’t reaching everyone it needed to, and not enough was entering when “at least 500 trucks are needed,” and called it a “violation of international humanitarian law.”
“The importance of opening the way for this humanitarian aid to arrive, and preventing any further suffering for the people of Gaza in order to preserve the credibility of the international system,” the Saudi foreign minister stressed.
Regarding concerns that Iranian-backed militias attacking Israel, the United States and the UK, could erupt into a larger conflict, the Saudi foreign minister concluded that “Iran does not want a broader war in the region.”