Saudi Deputy FM: Haniyeh assassination threat to regional stability, violation of sovereignty

Saudi Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister (English) Waleed Al-Khereiji criticized the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh at a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday.

Khereiji told the executive committee that "The assassination of Haniyeh during his visit to Tehran last week constitutes a threat to regional peace and security."

He also called the assassination a "blatant violation" of Iranian sovereignty and international law, saying that Saudi Arabia rejects “any violation of the sovereignty of states or interference in the internal affairs of any country.”

Khereiji condemned Israel's actions in the West Bank, calling Israeli actions "illegal" and an attack on the Palestinian people.

He called on the international community to hold Israel accountable for its actions in the West Bank, telling the meeting that the Saudi government would support all efforts aimed at ending the occupation of the Palestinian territories and reaching a comprehensive solution to the conflict.

The Saudi connection

Saudi Arabia's comments come as the kingdom has become increasingly linked to Israel, leading to it facing serious criticism from its fellow Arab and Muslim states.

Despite this, there have been persistent rumors that a normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia has been in the works and is nearing completion.

The meeting of the Executive Committee of the OIC was called by Iran and Pakistan following the assassination of Haniyeh on July 31.

The OIC is composed of 57 Muslim countries, including the entire Arab world, but also including major non-Arab states such as Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, and Indonesia.

The OIC held an Extraordinary session on October 18, 2023, as a result of the events of October 7 and the subsequent Israel-Hamas War.