Saudi FM believes Iran does not want a broader war

During the interview, the Saudi diplomat stated he feared that “the longer the conflict in Gaza goes on, the more danger there is for miscalculation, the more danger there is for escalation”.

But he sounded a note of optimism, saying “I don’t believe that the Iranians want a broader war”.

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference (MSC), Prince Faisal described “the level of civilian death and destruction” in Gaza as “unimaginable”.

“We already have a humanitarian catastrophe on our hands,” the top Saudi diplomat noted.

In that context, “the potential prospect of military operations in Rafah – the last safe haven in the south, and without any clear mechanisms to protect the civilians – this is completely unacceptable”.

Prince Faisal added: “We have said from the beginning that we need a ceasefire, and we need a ceasefire now more than ever.”

Israel has launched a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip following a Hamas attack on Oct. 7. The ensuing Israeli bombardment has killed at least 29,092 Palestinians and injured about 69,028, with mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed 85% of the territory’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.