Israel-Hamas war: Biden, Saudi crown prince discuss efforts to prevent conflict from ‘expanding’

United States President Joe Biden and Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman, on Tuesday (Oct 24) held a phone call to discuss efforts to prevent the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas from “expanding” to the rest of the region, said the White House in a statement.

The discussion comes days after Biden said that he believed Hamas’ attack on Israel was aimed at disrupting warming ties between the country and Saudi Arabia.

What did the two leaders discuss?

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According to a statement released by the White House, both Biden and the Saudi crown prince agreed to pursue broader diplomatic efforts “to maintain stability across the region and prevent the conflict from expanding.”

This comes as several Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, have expressed concerns about the conflict expanding and how it would affect their national security.

They also welcomed the delivery of humanitarian assistance from Egypt into Gaza and acknowledged that “much more is needed for civilians” to have sustained access to food, water and medical assistance, as per the White House.

This comes as the United Nations reported that no aid entered Gaza on Tuesday (Oct 24).

The UN aid spokesperson Eri Kaneko said around 20 trucks were unable to transport aid to Palestinian civilians without saying why the trucks had not been able to cross into Gaza via the Rafah border crossing.

Biden and MBS on hostages held by Hamas

According to the White House, the two leaders called for the “immediate release” of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza and welcomed efforts to secure their release.

This comes after Israel said more than 220 people were taken as hostages when the Palestinian militant group launched its surprise attack on the country on October 7.

“They also affirmed the importance of working towards a sustainable peace between Israelis and Palestinians as soon as the crisis subsides, building on the work that was already underway between Saudi Arabia and the United States over recent months,” said the White House.

It added the two leaders have “agreed to remain in close coordination” regarding the same.

Biden on Israel-Saudi relations and Hamas attack

Last week, the US president said, “One of the reasons why they acted like they did...why Hamas moved on Israel...(was) because they knew I was about to sit down with the Saudis”. He added, “The Saudis wanted to recognize Israel...unite the Middle East.”

Notably, the US was in the midst of brokering a deal to normalise relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia – home to Islam’s two holiest shrines – which was shattered once Hamas militants attacked Israel.

(With inputs from agencies)

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