Talks of ceasefire + two-state solution held in Riyadh

Arab foreign ministers reiterated in Riyadh the urgency of an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and “the importance of taking irreversible steps to implement the two-state solution,” state news agency SPA reported on Friday. The meeting in Riyadh followed US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to the region and was attended by the FMs of Egypt, the UAE, Qatar and Jordan.

The meeting served to create an “Arab consensus” over the situation in Gaza, and to solidify that a permanent ceasefire “must be followed by an agreement on the framework for Palestinian statehood,” an unnamed senior Arab diplomat told Bloomberg.

ALSO- The Foreign Ministry has warned of the “extremely dangerous repercussions” of an Israeli invasion of densely populated Rafah, according to a statement picked up by SPA. “Rafah is the last refuge for hundreds of thousands of civilians who were forced to flee due to the brutal Israeli aggression,” it said, warning of a “humanitarian catastrophe” if Israel proceeds with its plan.