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Downing Street said that the Prime Minister had “welcomed Saudi Arabia’s leadership in seeking a peaceful resolution to the crisis”.
“The leaders agreed on the importance of avoiding further destabilisation across the Middle East, including through Iranian proxies in the region, and committed to coordinate action to de-escalate tensions,” a spokesman said.
The Prime Minister set out the UK’s support for Israel’s right to defend itself against terror and combat the threat from Hamas.
“He confirmed the UK would provide further humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza and continue to support the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people to statehood, alongside regional partners like Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt.”
Crown Prince UK visit in doubt
Prince Mohammed had been expected to visit the UK for talks with Mr Sunak this autumn, but it is not clear if that meeting will now go ahead.
Asked if it would still take place, the Prime Minister’s spokesman said: “We haven’t set out any plans for an inward visit of that sort.”
It comes after Riyadh joined a host of other Arab capitals on Wednesday in blaming Israel for the bombing of Ahli Arabi Hospital in Gaza.
Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan and Turkey pointed the finger at the Israeli military over the strike in which hundreds of Palestinians were feared to have been killed.
The Saudi foreign ministry said: “This dangerous development forces the international community to abandon double standards it has used to selectively apply international law when it comes to Israeli criminal practices and requires a serious and firm stance in order to provide protection for defenseless civilians.”
Israel has said the tragedy was caused by a malfunctioning rocket fired by Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists.
Its conclusion has been backed by a number of independent experts who have said the disaster scene does not bear the hallmarks of an Israeli air strike.
Mr Biden has also supported that version of events, telling Mr Netanyahu on Wednesday that US intelligence indicated “the other team” was responsible.
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