JEDDAH — Saudi Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Eng. Waleed Al-Khereiji said that the assassination of former Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh is a flagrant violation of the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national security of Iran, as well as international law and the Charter of the United Nations. "The assassination of Haniyeh during his visit to Tehran last week constitutes a threat to regional peace and security," he said while attending, on behalf of Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan, the extraordinary meeting of the Executive Committee of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Jeddah on Wednesday. Al-Khereiji emphasized that the government of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman is aware of the seriousness of the escalating situation in the Palestinian territories due to the blatant attacks and illegal practices of the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian people inside and outside the Palestinian territories, ignoring international charters and resolutions. The deputy minister said that the government of Saudi Arabia, based on its firm positions towards the Palestinian cause, condemns the attacks carried out by the Israeli occupation forces on civilians and rejects any attack on the sovereignty of states or interference in the internal affairs of any state in accordance with international conventions and the OIC Charter. Al-Khereiji expressed the Kingdom's deep concern over the escalation of violations by the Israeli occupation army, which resulted in large numbers of martyrs and wounded among civilians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. He also voiced concern over the shortage of food, medicine, and fuel to the complete depletion of the health sectors under the pressure of the increasing numbers of patients as well as displaced civilians seeking shelter. Al-Khereiji renewed the Kingdom's call on the international community to take effective action to play its role in holding the Israeli occupation forces fully accountable for these crimes and violations and their negative consequences on the chances of reviving the peace process and in stopping the attacks and violations against the Palestinian people. He also emphasized that the Kingdom supports all efforts aimed at ending the occupation of the Palestinian territories and reaching a comprehensive solution that enables the Palestinian people to establish their independent Palestinian state in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.
