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RIYADH

Saudi Arabia emphasized to US President Donald Trump the urgent need for a Gaza ceasefire and the establishment of a Palestinian state, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said on Wednesday.

“A ceasefire agreement in Gaza must be reached at the earliest opportunity, and we hope the release of (Israeli American hostage) Edan Alexander achieves a breakthrough in this regard,” he told a press conference in Riyadh following a Gulf-US summit attended by Trump.

The Palestinian group Hamas released Alexander on Monday following talks with Washington as part of Gaza ceasefire efforts.

The Saudi minister said Riyadh underlined to Trump the need to halt Israel’s genocide in Gaza, ensure humanitarian aid reaches the enclave, and establish an independent Palestinian state.

He held Israel “primarily responsible for obstructing relief aid to Gaza.”

Israel estimates 58 Israeli hostages remain in Gaza, with 21 still alive. In contrast, more than 9,900 Palestinians are detained in Israeli prisons, enduring torture, starvation, and medical neglect, resulting in numerous deaths, according to Palestinian and Israeli human rights and media reports.

The Israeli army has continued a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip, killing more than 52,900 Palestinians since October 2023, most of them women and children.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

Syria

The top Saudi diplomat said Trump met with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, in a meeting attended by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and joined by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan by phone.

Calling the meeting “productive,” he said the four leaders discussed “opportunities to support Syria’s stability, address its challenges, and alleviate the Syrian people’s suffering.”

On Tuesday, Trump said during the 2025 Saudi-US Investment Forum in Riyadh that he would order the removal of “brutal and crippling” US sanctions on Syria to give that country “a chance at greatness.”

“We are currently exploring normalizing relations with Syria’s new government…beginning with my meeting with President Ahmad al-Sharaa,” Trump said during the Gulf-US summit in Riyadh.

Trump arrived in Qatar early Wednesday after a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia. He is also expected to visit the United Arab Emirates as part of his first overseas trip since taking office in January.