A source close to the Saudi government revealed today, Saturday, that the Kingdom decided to suspend normalization talks with Israel against the backdrop of the Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip.

The same source confirmed to Agence France-Presse that Riyadh informed the American officials sponsoring the discussions of this decision.

This comment came after Saudi Arabia confirmed its rejection of calls for the “forced displacement” of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, and denounced Israel’s continued targeting of “defenseless civilians,” in its strongest statement since the outbreak of the war.

The official familiar with the negotiations said, “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia decided to suspend talks about possible normalization (with Israel) and informed this to American officials” who are sponsoring the discussions.

Saudi Arabia has come a long way in negotiations that have been ongoing for months to reach historic normalization with the Hebrew state under American sponsorship.

The sudden and unprecedented attack launched by Hamas fighters on Israel last Saturday, and the subsequent intense Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip, complicated the announcement of an expected normalization. Since then, Saudi Arabia has denounced in several statements the Israeli policy that led to the outbreak of the confrontation.

In its first reaction to the Hamas attack, Riyadh affirmed that it was “a result of the continued occupation and deprivation of the Palestinian people of their legitimate rights and the repetition of systematic provocations against their sanctities.” On Friday, it affirmed its rejection of calls for the “forced displacement” of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and denounced Israel’s continued targeting of “defenseless civilians,” in its strongest statement since the outbreak of the war.

Before the Hamas attack, Saudi Arabia and Israel were close to normalization. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told Fox News last month that it is "getting closer and closer every day." Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed from the United Nations podium that his country is on the “threshold” of establishing relations with Saudi Arabia.

He continued, "Such a peace will go a long way toward ending the Arab-Israeli conflict. It will encourage other Arab countries to normalize their relations with Israel." On Tuesday, the Saudi Crown Prince assured Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that “the Kingdom continues to stand by the Palestinian people,” explaining that he is working to prevent the “widening” of the scope of the conflict.

More than 1,300 people have been killed in Israel, most of them civilians, since the start of the attack, including 258 soldiers, according to the army's latest toll. The number of wounded has reached more than 3,200, and the number of hostages proven to be being held is about 120.

In the besieged Gaza Strip, more than 2215 Palestinians, including 614 children, were killed and more than 7,696 citizens were injured as a result of the intense Israeli bombing in response to the operation, according to the latest toll from the Hamas Ministry of Health on Friday.