Overview

• Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry asserts no diplomatic ties with Israel without a Palestinian state and an end to Israeli 'aggression' on Gaza.
• The kingdom's position comes in response to U.S. claims of separate tracks for hostage release and Israel-Saudi normalization.
• Saudi Arabia's stance remains unchanged despite U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby's optimistic comments on normalization discussions.
• The issue of formalizing Israel-Saudi ties has been on hold since the escalation of the conflict between Hamas and Israeli forces in October 2023.
• Saudi Arabia's firm stance underscores the importance of resolving the Palestinian issue and ending the conflict in Gaza for regional peace.