Saudis Lead Palestinian-State Push as Fears Grow Over Rafah
- Kingdom hosts meeting to forge common ground over Israel-Hamas
- Palestine state remains sticking point in US-Saudi discussions
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Saudi Arabia is pushing for key Arab states to take a common position on how to end Israel’s war on Hamas as fears grow over its attacks on the refugee haven of Rafah — while increasing calls for an independent Palestinian state.
The foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates as well as a senior aide to President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority traveled to Riyadh on Thursday to meet with Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal Bin Farhan. Included on the agenda was a call for an “immediate and full cease-fire” in Gaza, according to a Saudi communique issued at the start of the gathering, and the removal of all obstacles to the entry of aid into the war-torn enclave.