Saudi Arabia yesterday rejected the United States’ plan to “take over” the Gaza Strip. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the US would take over the war-ravaged area after Palestinians are resettled elsewhere.

He said rather than struggling to rebuild their destroyed cities, the Palestinians should “resettle permanently” in “nice homes” somewhere else.

But in a statement, the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the country would continue its relentless efforts to establish an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without that coming to reality.

The statement said: “His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister clearly and unequivocally reaffirmed this stance during his speech at the opening of the first session of the ninth term of the Shura Council on September 18, 2024

“His Royal Highness emphasized that Saudi Arabia will continue its relentless efforts to establish an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without that.

“His Royal Highness also reiterated this firm position during the extraordinary Arab-Islam ic Summit held in Riyadh on November II,2024.

“He stressed the continuation of efforts to establish a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, demanding an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands.

His Royal Highness also urged more peace-loving countries to recognize the State of Palestine, and emphasized the importance of mobilizing the international community to support the Palestinian people’s rights, as expressed in United Nations General Assembly resolutions, recognizing Palestine’s eligibility for full UN membership.