Israel-Hamas war a turning point in search for just solution to Palestinian issue: former Saudi intelligence chief

• Prince Turki Al-Faisal said conflict represents failure in international diplomacy, which is no longer sustainable
• Former Saudi intelligence chief condemns acts of Hamas and Israel

RIYADH: The Israel-Hamas war is a turning point in the search for a just solution to the Palestinian issue, a former head of Saudi intelligence said on Saturday, backing a call for an international conference to be held to find a lasting solution.

Prince Turki Al-Faisal said the conflict represents a failure in international diplomacy, which is no longer sustainable.

Israel has been conducting a brutal military campaign in the Gaza Strip after Hamas carried out a surprise attack on towns near the enclave, killing around 1,200 Israelis. The response by the Israeli military has killed 11,500 Palestinians.

“I condemn Hamas’ barbaric attack on civilians on Oct. 7. But I must also condemn the equally barbaric and more savage attack of Israelis on Palestinian civilians not only in Gaza but in the West Bank,” Prince Turki said.

Israel’s heavy-handed approach to its stated goal of eradicating Hamas has been criticized for causing high levels of civilian deaths and has prompted calls for a ceasefire.

Israeli leaders’ rhetoric has also been criticized, including their use of dehumanizing language against Palestinians and talks of using nuclear weapons against them.

This month, an Israeli minister said that dropping an atomic bomb on Gaza was “one of the options” to deal with the militant group.

“The Israeli nuclear threat is an open invitation to others in the region to pursue this option,” Prince Turki said. “We must ponder this recklessness on the part of Israel and not let it pass without reckoning.”

Prince Turki reminded an audience at the International Institute for Strategic Studies Manama Dialogue in the Bahraini capital that the conflict did not begin when Hamas breached Israeli defenses last month but rather has a long history, “most of it in the mode of assaults on Palestinians.”

He also highlighted the hypocrisy and double standards of some nations that claim to be “the guardians of what they call the rules-based international order, democracy, human rights, and international law.”

Prince Turki, once the top Saudi diplomat in the US and UK, said the solution to the conflict requires a collective approach.

“All of us have failed in solving this problem and the responsibility goes (to) all of us to find a solution,” he said, adding that the world is more aware of the plight of the Palestinian people and the atrocities of Israel’s continued occupation.

The former envoy said there was no shortage of ideas and initiatives for peace but “all stopped at Israel’s door due to the unwavering US and European backing, therefore all initiatives went in vain.”

He said the “Israeli, American and European illusion” of bettering Palestinian life under occupation and normalizing ties with Arab states is not an alternative to what real peace requires.

Prince Turki backed Bahrain’s call for an international peace conference, under the effective leadership of the US, which aims to find a credible peace process.

The Arab Peace Initiative of 2002 is still on the table and offers a durable solution to both Palestinians and Israelis, he said. The initiative “makes Israel an integral and normal state within the region and above all brings justice to the Palestinians with their own state.”

Prince Turki said he hopes the fate of Palestinian prisoners will also be considered in any negotiations between the two sides. “What about their fate? Are they also going to be included in this quid pro quo? I hope they will be considered in that.”