Saudi Arabia Urges Immediate Ceasefire in Gaza, Rules Out Israel Normalization Without Palestinian Solution

Saudi Arabia’s top diplomat on Friday emphasized that achieving a permanent ceasefire and ending the war in Gaza remains the Kingdom’s foremost priority.

Speaking during a visit to Moscow, Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan dismissed the prospect of normalizing relations with Israel under current conditions. “What we are seeing is the Israelis are crushing Gaza, the civilian population of Gaza. This is completely unnecessary, completely unacceptable, and has to stop,” he said.

Prince Faisal reiterated Saudi Arabia’s longstanding position that normalization with Israel cannot proceed without a just resolution to the Palestinian issue — a stance reaffirmed in 2024 as the war continues to escalate.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump said he expects Hamas to respond within 24 hours to what he called his “final proposal” for a ceasefire in Gaza. The plan reportedly includes a 60-day truce, during which negotiations to end the conflict would begin.

Hamas confirmed it is reviewing the proposal and consulting with other Palestinian factions. The group has demanded assurances that ceasefire talks will take place during the pause in fighting, and that the truce will be extended until a lasting agreement is reached.

Despite diplomatic efforts, violence continues to claim lives. Early Friday, Israeli airstrikes killed at least 20 Palestinians—15 in an attack on a tent camp for displaced people near Khan Younis in southern Gaza, and five others in Jabaliya in the north.

At a funeral in Khan Younis, 13-year-old Mayar Al-Farr mourned her brother Mahmoud. “The ceasefire will come, and I have lost my brother? There should have been a ceasefire long before I lost my brother,” she said.

Adlar Mouamar, whose nephew Ashraf was also killed, pleaded for international intervention. “Our hearts are broken. We ask the world, we don’t want food … we want them to end the bloodshed. We want them to stop this war.”

Gaza’s health ministry says more than 57,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s military campaign since Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, killing around 1,200 people and taking over 250 hostages, according to Israeli authorities.