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Saudi Foreign Minister Holds Press Conference on Gaza Crisis
| Source: Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia
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.