Saudi Arabia wants peace with Israel after Gaza war, envoy tells BBC

Saudi Arabia is interested in normalization with Israel following the conclusion of the IDF's war on Hamas in Gaza, the Saudi ambassador to the UK, Khalid bin Bandar Al Saud, said in an interview with the BBC on Tuesday.

However, the envoy said, Saudi Arabia had one condition - the creation of a Palestinian State.

According to the ambassador, prior to the October 7 massacre, both countries were close to reaching an agreement.

The basis for Saudi Arabian normalization agreement 

He explained, "For us, the final endpoint definitely included nothing less than an independent state of Palestine. So, while we still - going forward after 7 October - believe in normalization, it does not come at the cost of the Palestinian people," adding as a final note, "One doesn't come without the other." 

The ambassador voiced his disapproval at the reaction of the international community to the situation in Gaza, saying its efforts at ending the fighting and sending humanitarian aid to the Strip were insufficient. 

With regard to the UK, Prince Khalid stated it should "treat Israel the same way it treats everyone else." "The blind spot towards Israel is a real problem because it provides a blind spot to peace," he continued.

In November, despite reports that Saudi Arabia had desisted from any normalization plan due to the war, the White House confirmed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was still committed to a normalization deal.

In September, Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto leader of Saudi Arabia, said that his country was getting closer to a deal with the Jewish State "every day." 

Tovah Lazaroff contributed to this article.