A senior Saudi royal lashed out at Israel on Saturday, denouncing the Jewish state as "genocidal" and an "apartheid" state, AFP reported.
Prince Turki Al Faisal, who served as Saudi Arabia’s intelligence chief for over two decades, also expressed hope that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would face charges at the International Criminal Court (ICC), after the court recently issued arrest warrants against him and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
Speaking at the Manama Dialogue conference in Bahrain, Prince Turki criticized Israel’s actions in Gaza and the broader region.
"Israel today, according to international human rights groups, is not only an apartheid colonial state, but it is also a genocidal one," Prince Turki stated, according to AFP. "It is committing genocide on the people of Gaza."
He continued, "It's about time for the world to... take the necessary steps to bring those who are charged by the International Criminal Court to justice."
Prince Turki, who also served as Saudi ambassador to the US, called on US President-elect Donald Trump to leverage his mandate to make a meaningful impact in the region.
"Friendly countries in the region are hoping that Mr. Trump pursues what he started before, to bring peace with capital letters to the Middle East," he said.
"It is time for America, under your presidency, to change the course of this troubled region."
Prince Turki’s comments follow remarks by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman last month, when he characterized Israel's military operation in Gaza as "genocide".
The Crown Prince emphasized that Saudi Arabia "affirms its support for the brothers in Palestine and Lebanon to overcome the disastrous humanitarian consequences of the ongoing Israeli aggression."
The comments are indicative of the fact that Saudi and Israeli normalization does not appear close.
While Saudi Arabia and Israel appeared to be on track towards normalization before Hamas’ attack against Israel on October 7, 2023, Saudi Arabia put the US-backed plans to normalize ties with Israel on ice shortly after that attack and the war in Gaza which followed.
In September, the Saudi Crown Prince emphasized that an "independent Palestinian state" was essential for normalization.
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, reiterated that position last month and, like the Crown Prince did on Monday, described the goings on in the Gaza Strip as a “genocide” while condemning what he described as the "complete blockade" of northern Gaza.