Saudi Foreign Minister Holds Press Conference on Gaza Crisis

WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwire - January 7, 2009) - The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Saud Al-Faisal again today called for an to end the crisis in Gaza during a press conference in New York City after his attendance yesterday at a special session of the United Nations Security Council to address the ongoing turmoil in the region.

"It is the responsibility of the Security Council to work to end armed conflicts as soon as they arise, and the current conflict in Gaza should be no exception," said Prince Saud at the press conference. "As the assault heads into its 13th day, the situation in Gaza has sparked a humanitarian travesty of great proportion and opened the door for more suffering. Yet, the Council has not taken any concrete action to carry out its responsibilities to end the hostilities."

The Arab League presented a resolution to the UN Security Council that provides a framework to resolve the crisis. The resolution includes an immediate cease fire, the lifting of the siege, the opening of the crossings, the establishment of a monitoring mechanism, and the return to agreements previously entered into. Prince Saud asked his counterparts on the Security Council "to adopt these measures immediately."

Last week the Kingdom launched "the Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques Campaign to Provide Humanitarian Relief to the Palestinian People in Gaza." The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, initiated the fund with a donation of $8 million. The campaign has raised more than $44.5 million and is part of a broader humanitarian effort by the Kingdom to provide assistance to the Palestinian people during this difficult time.

Contact Information: This is distributed by Qorvis Communications, LLC on behalf of the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC. CONTACT: Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia Information Office Washington, DC www.saudiembassy.net