Saudi FM Urges Europe to Sanction Israeli Officials for Human Rights Violations
Madrid, The Gulf Observer: Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, has called on European nations to impose sanctions on Israeli officials who violate international human rights laws. Speaking at the European Council on Foreign Relations meeting in Madrid on Thursday, Prince Faisal warned that Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza is impacting the entire Middle East, including southern Lebanon.
“The situation in the Gaza Strip does not only affect the Palestinian issue but the entire region and contributes to further escalations, which is currently happening in southern Lebanon,” he stated during a panel discussion titled “Wars and Shadow Wars: What are Europe’s Options in the Middle East?”
Prince Faisal criticized the international community’s silence on Israel’s continued expansion of settlements in the West Bank, which he said undermines the peace process in Palestine. He emphasized that the least European countries can do is condemn Israel’s non-compliance with its commitments and take stricter measures, such as imposing sanctions on officials violating international human rights laws, as reported by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
Highlighting the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination, Prince Faisal asserted their need for an internationally recognized independent state. “The majority of the international community agrees that the permanent and just solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is the two-state solution, yet they stand idle in the face of matters that could undermine this solution, such as Israel’s continued expansion of settlement activities,” he said.
He commended European countries that have recognized Palestine as a state, including Spain, calling it “a very important move” that supports the peace process and the push toward a two-state solution.
Prince Faisal reiterated calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the delivery of urgent humanitarian aid to the besieged population, urging the international community to act swiftly to address the crisis.
