War in the Middle East

Saudi king calls for an end to “crimes”

Saudi Arabia's King Mohammed bin Salman

(Bild: AP)

Saudi King Salman has called on the international community to put an end to the "heinous crimes" in the Gaza Strip. "As we witness the beginning of Ramadan this year, our hearts are full of sorrow for the continued suffering of our Palestinian brothers (...)", Salman said on Sunday.

Safe humanitarian corridors and aid corridors for the civilian population were needed, and aid by sea for Gaza was still not on its way. Aid organizations have been warning of a famine for weeks. Originally, the ship "Open Arms" from Cyprus was supposed to set sail at the weekend and bring various goods such as drinking water, food and medicine to the population (see video above). According to the Cypriot foreign minister, however, there were technical problems. "Until the implementation, nothing can be taken for granted as the project is complex due to the war situation in Gaza."

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

(Bild: AP)

Journey will probably take 48 to 60 hours
In any case, a second shipment of humanitarian aid is waiting in the port of Larnaca. The town is around 400 kilometers from Gaza. A journey there could take 48 to 60 hours. There is only one small fishing port in the Gaza Strip, which is not deep enough for cargo ships. The US military is therefore working with international partners to build a temporary port, which will take around two months to construct.

"We call on the international community to shoulder its responsibility to put an end to these heinous crimes and ensure the establishment of safe humanitarian and aid corridors," said Saudi King Salman. The mediators from Egypt, the US and Qatar had recently tried unsuccessfully to bring about a ceasefire and a release of hostages between Israel and Hamas before Ramadan (starting today, Monday or Tuesday, depending on the country).

We call on the international community to fulfill its responsibility to put an end to these heinous crimes and ensure the establishment of safe humanitarian and aid corridors.

Saudi-Arabiens König und Premierminister Salman

The war in the Middle East began with Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7. Around 1160 people were killed and 250 others were taken hostage in the Gaza Strip. Since the Israeli military operation, a further 31,100 people have lost their lives and 72,760 have been injured, according to the Hamas health authority.