The Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth quoted an unnamed Israeli official as saying that Tel Aviv refuses to allow the meeting to take place, saying, "The Palestinian Authority still refuses to condemn the October 7 attack." He added, "Planning to hold a meeting of Arab foreign ministers in Ramallah aims to promote the establishment of a Palestinian state, and this is unacceptable."
The same official continued, saying that Israel "will not participate in any steps that would harm it or its security," alleging that the Palestinian Authority is violating agreements signed with Israel, "and must stop doing so at all levels."
Meanwhile, Ahmed al-Majdalani, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization's Executive Committee, told the press that a delegation comprising the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, and the UAE was scheduled to arrive in Ramallah on Sunday. He explained that the visit had been planned for months as part of the work of the ministerial committee emanating from the Riyadh Arab-Islamic Summit, but had been postponed.
Al-Majdalani noted that the delegation, headed by Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, was carrying a message of political support from Arab and Islamic countries for the Palestinian leadership. The delegation aimed to demonstrate a position of rejection of Israeli violations, including the ongoing war of extermination in the Gaza Strip and ethnic cleansing practices in the West Bank, particularly in East Jerusalem.
The ministerial delegation was scheduled to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and a number of Palestinian officials during the visit.
Al-Majdalani also explained that this visit also comes in the context of preparations for an international peace conference, scheduled to be held from June 17 to 20 in New York, under Saudi-French sponsorship and with broad international participation. The conference aims to reach a peaceful settlement that ends the occupation and leads to the implementation of the two-state solution.
This comes amid a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. Since March 2, the Israeli occupation has continued to impose a stifling blockade, closing all crossings and preventing the entry of food, medicine, and fuel, while simultaneously escalating its war of genocide against the Strip's population.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel, with American support, has been committing genocide in the Gaza Strip, leaving more than 177,000 Palestinians dead or wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 11,000 missing, in addition to hundreds of thousands displaced.
In parallel with the annihilation of Gaza, the Israeli army and settlers escalated their attacks in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, resulting in the deaths of at least 972 Palestinians, the injury of nearly 7,000, and the arrest of more than 17,000, according to Palestinian data.
