• Kingdom also called for ending the Israeli siege on Gaza
• Called for international community provide needed relief

Arab News

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia slammed Israel’s call for Palestinians to leave Gaza and condemned the continued targeting of “defenseless civilians,” the foreign ministry said Friday.

The Israeli military warned all civilians of Gaza City, more than 1.1 million people, to relocate south within 24 hours.

It had amassed tanks near the border with the Gaza Strip ahead of an expected ground invasion.

“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia affirms its categorical rejection of calls for the forced displacement of the Palestinian people from Gaza, and its condemnation of the continued targeting of defenseless civilians there,” a statement from the Foreign Ministry said.

“(The international community) must provide the needed relief and medical needs for the people of Gaza, especially since deprivation of basic necessities for a decent life violates international humanitarian law,” the statement added.

The ministry warned that not doing so would exacerbate the crisis and suffering that the region’s people were suffering.

The Kingdom also called for ending the Israeli siege on Gaza, evacuating injured civilians and advancing the peace process between Palestinians and Israelis in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.