AhlulBayt News Agency: The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt met with their French counterpart in Paris on Friday to discuss urgent international efforts aimed at ending the war in Gaza and facilitating the entry of humanitarian aid into the besieged Palestinian enclave.
UN Chief: Palestinians in Gaza Facing “Cruellest Phase” of War
The meeting, hosted by the French Foreign Ministry, was part of a broader initiative by the Ministerial Committee assigned by the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit on Gaza, according to the Jordan News Agency.
Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a stark warning on Friday, stating that Palestinians in Gaza are “enduring what may be the cruellest phase” of the ongoing war.
“For nearly 80 days, Israel blocked the entry of life-saving international aid,” Guterres said. “The entire population of Gaza is facing the risk of famine. The Israeli military offensive is intensifying with atrocious levels of death and destruction.”
Arab-Islamic Committee Engages with France to End Gaza Violence
The Arab delegation, led by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, also included Jordan's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi and Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, according to the Saudi Press Agency.The talks focused on intensifying coordinated measures to halt Israeli violations against the Palestinian people, and exploring paths to de-escalation.
The ministers reviewed preparations for an upcoming high-level international conference on the two-state solution, which will be co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France and held at the UN headquarters in New York in June 2025.
France May Recognize Palestine at Upcoming UN Conference
French diplomatic sources noted that France may officially recognize the State of Palestine during the UN-hosted conference. UN member states were invited on Friday to attend a preparatory meeting in New York, ahead of the June 17–20 conference.
“The aim is to unite the international community around concrete proposals with the adoption of a final document that traces the road to the settlement of the Palestine question,” a French diplomat stated.
Gaza Death Toll Rises Amid Renewed Israeli Offensive
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least 3,673 people have been killed in the territory since Israel resumed military operations on March 18, following the end of a temporary ceasefire that began on January 19.
The total death toll in Gaza since the beginning of the war has reached 53,822, with the majority being civilians.
As global diplomatic momentum builds, the upcoming UN conference on Palestine is expected to serve as a critical platform for pushing forward a viable peace roadmap, particularly under the framework of the two-state solution. Participation from Israel remains uncertain, as the current Israeli government continues to reject the notion of Palestinian statehood.
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