(MENAFN) Saudi Arabia strongly denounced the Israeli Security Cabinet’s recent decision to take control of Gaza City, labeling it a “war crime” and “an act of ethnic cleansing” against Palestinians.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry issued a statement condemning “in the strongest and most severe terms any Israeli move to control Gaza.” It warned that the plan constitutes “a clear violation of international humanitarian law” and represents “a blatant disregard for the Palestinian people’s historical and legal rights to their land.”

The ministry also criticized Israel’s harsh tactics, including the use of “starvation as a weapon and the continued siege of the enclave,” describing these measures as part of an “extremist policy aimed at displacing Palestinians by force.”

Riyadh voiced serious concern about the international community’s, especially the UN Security Council’s, failure to intervene and halt Israel’s military operations, stating that “such silence contributes to worsening the humanitarian catastrophe and undermines international legal norms.”

Saudi Arabia called for “urgent and decisive international action to halt the aggression, protect civilians, and allow the delivery of immediate humanitarian aid.” The kingdom reiterated its strong support for a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as the capital of an independent Palestinian state, in accordance with relevant UN resolutions.

The condemnation came shortly after Israel’s Security Cabinet revealed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan for a full occupation of Gaza City. Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, ongoing since October 2023, has already led to over 61,000 deaths and widespread devastation, with hunger and starvation causing many casualties.

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