Saudi FM talks Gaza aid, ceasefire with newly appointed Palestinian PM

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan discussed the latest developments in Gaza with the newly appointed Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa, the Kingdom’s foreign ministry said on Sunday.

Mustafa, also the Palestinian foreign minister, and Prince Faisal, discussed efforts “to achieve a ceasefire and the need to increase the flow of humanitarian aid to all parts of the Strip.”

During the phone call, the top Saudi diplomat congratulated the new premier on his post and wished his government success “in serving the Palestinian people in light of the difficult circumstances they face,” the ministry said in a statement.

Mustafa, an ally of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and a leading business figure, was appointed in March with a mandate to help reform the Palestinian Authority (PA), which exercises limited self-rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Mustafa’s appointment comes after mounting pressure to overhaul the governing body of the occupied Palestinian territories and improve governance in the occupied West Bank.

It comes at a time when Israel is at war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip after the Iran-backed militant group killed 1,200 people and seized 253 hostages in Israel on October 7.

Since then, an Israeli assault has killed more than 31,000 people and displaced the nearly 2.3 million population of Gaza from their homes.