Biden and Bin Salman Discuss Israel-Hamas War in Phone Call

The White House announced that U.S. President Joe Biden and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke on Tuesday about efforts to prevent the escalation of conflict between Israel and Hamas. According to this announcement, Biden and the Saudi Crown Prince welcomed the delivery of humanitarian aid from Egypt to Gaza and emphasized the need for sustained access for civilians to food, water, and medical assistance. The two leaders also welcomed ongoing efforts to free hostages held by Hamas and called for the immediate release of all hostages, stressing the importance of working towards a 'lasting peace' between Israel and the Palestinians once the crisis subsides. According to the White House, the leaders of the United States and Saudi Arabia stated in this phone call that they would soon pursue the peace negotiation process between Israel and Saudi Arabia, mediated by the U.S. U.S. officials had previously suggested that the aim of the conflict between Hamas and Israel was to disrupt the normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, criticized the normalization process of Arab countries, especially Saudi Arabia's relations with Israel, stating that normalizing relations with Israel is 'betting on a dead horse.' Ebrahim Raisi, the President of the Islamic Republic, also stated on the last day of Shahrivar during a military parade that 'if individuals or governments think that normalizing relations with Israel can normalize issues, this will not be the case. This is a dagger in the back of the Palestinian people, and the resistance organizations will not forgive it.' Alireza Nourizadeh: Khamenei engaged Hamas in war out of fear of peace between Saudi Arabia and Israel. Blinken's trip to the Middle East and Saudi Arabia; Gita Arin explains the details. The Emir of Qatar criticized giving a 'green light' to Israel. The President of the World Bank expressed concern about the impact of the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas on the international economy. American senators in Tel Aviv: the destruction of Hamas is non-negotiable. Leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council and ASEAN called for an 'immediate and lasting ceasefire' between Israel and Hamas. Officials from Saudi Arabia and the UAE met simultaneously with 'concern over the expansion of war in the region.' The U.S. Secretary of State stated that his meeting with the Saudi Crown Prince was 'very constructive.'