Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has reportedly told Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that the kingdom will continue to stand by the Palestinians amid the ongoing conflict between Hamas terrorists and Israel.
Does Saudi Arabia support Hamas?
Bin Salman told Abbas, who heads the Fatah movement which controls the West Bank, that Saudi Arabia will continue ‘to stand by the Palestinian people to achieve their legitimate rights to a decent life, achieve their hopes and aspirations, and achieve just and lasting peace.’
Abbas is a political rival of Hamas, which launched the attack on Israel.
Bin Salmon is said to have told Abbas that he was working with international parties to prevent ‘an expansion of the conflict’.
Western officials last night said Tehran had provided the Hamas terrorists with military training and logistical help as well as tens of millions of dollars for weapons ahead of the surprise incursion.
The officials said Hamas had been planning the assault on Israel for at least a year, reports the Washington Post.
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They said that while they have no evidence that Tehran authorised or directly coordinated the attack, the incursion reflected Iran’s years-long ambition to surround Israel with paramilitary fighters armed with sophisticated weapons.
‘If you train people on how to use weapons, you expect them to eventually use them,’ said a Western intelligence official.
At least 900 Israelis have been killed by the terrorists since they launched the surprise attack on Saturday.
And in response Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip with the fiercest air strikes in the 75-year history of its conflict, killing 770 Palestinians and wounding 4,000 more.
