Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said on Tuesday that the Kingdom may recognize Israel if the Palestinian crisis is resolved, calling for a “first step” represented by a ceasefire in Gaza.

Ibn Farhan’s words came in an intervention, on Tuesday, during a discussion session at the Davos Forum held in Switzerland entitled: “Securing an Insecure World,” in which he responded to a question about whether the Kingdom could recognize Israel within the framework of a broader agreement after resolving the Palestinian conflict, where he said: "certainly".

Bin Farhan added that there is no evidence that the Israeli goals of its war on the Gaza Strip are close to being achieved, calling for making room for a path that empowers the Palestinian Authority and allows moving forward towards peace. He stressed that "our priority is to find a path to calm through real interaction in the region, and we must focus on reducing tensions through a ceasefire in Gaza."

While he expressed his pleasure "for international voices to join in calling for a ceasefire to put an end to the human suffering resulting from the war in Gaza," he considered that "the calls are insufficient" and demanded that "they be intensified and made more serious to achieve the demand to stop the war and suffering."

Regarding regional tensions in the context of the repercussions of the war on Gaza, Bin Farhan said: “We are concerned about regional security and freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, and the priority is calm and reducing escalation.”

The Saudi Foreign Minister stressed that "focus must be placed on the situation in Gaza because it affects the region and increases tension in the Red Sea."

He continued: "The priority must be to reduce the escalation in the Red Sea and the entire region," considering that "continuing suffering in Gaza will likely leave endless cycles of violence," according to his assessment.

In solidarity with the Gaza Strip, which is exposed to a devastating Israeli war, groups loyal to Iran, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and other groups in Iraq and Syria, launched attacks on Israeli and American targets.

However, the most notable development was in Yemen, where the Houthis targeted, with missiles and drones, cargo ships in the Red Sea owned or operated by Israeli companies or transporting goods to and from Israel, which was met with international military action led by the United States under the name “Guardian of Prosperity.”

Since October 7, 2023, the Israeli occupation army has been waging a devastating war on Gaza with American support, which, as of Tuesday, left 24,285 dead and 61,154 injured, and caused the displacement of more than 85 percent (about 1.9 million people) of the Strip’s population, according to Palestinian authorities and the United Nations.

(Reuters, Anatolia)