'Closely following developments', KSA says of situation in Israel

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) said on Saturday it was closely following the developments taking place in Israel after Hamas launched an unprecendeted attack into the country earlier in the day.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, a local news daily Okaz quoted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as stating that, "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is closely following developments in the unprecedented situation between a number of Palestinian factions and the Israeli occupation forces, which has resulted in a high level of violence taking place on a number of fronts there."

Surprise attack

The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas launched the biggest attack on Israel in years on Saturday in a surprise assault that combined gunmen crossing the border with a heavy barrage of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip.

Israel said the group had declared war as its army confirmed fighting with militants in several Israeli towns and military bases near Gaza and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to retaliate.

At least 22 Israelis were killed in the attack so far with more than 250 wounded, Israel's ambulance service said, but added that the toll was expected to rise.

The Israeli military said it had launched air strikes into Gaza, where witnesses reported hearing heavy explosions, with at least two dead.

Read Saudi Arabia, Israel should normalise ties: Blinken

Israeli media reported gunbattles between bands of Palestinian fighters and security forces in towns in southern Israel. Israel's police chief said there were "21 active scenes" in southern Israel, indicating the extent of the attack.

Saudi-Israel ties

Hamas' attack comes in the backdrop of some Muslim countries, including KSA, normalising ties with Israel, with US' support, after decades of supporting the Palestinian resistance.

Last week, the White House in a statement said that Israel and Saudi Arabia were moving towards the outline of a historic US-brokered deal to normalize relations after decades of hostility.

President Joe Biden is hoping to transform the Middle East -- and score an election-year diplomatic victory -- by securing recognition of the Jewish state by Saudi Arabia, the guardian of Islam's two holiest sites.

"All sides have hammered out, I think, a basic framework for what, you know, what we might be able to drive at," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters.

The White House's statement came a few days after Israel’s Tourism Minister Haim Katz arrived in Saudi Arabia for the first such high-level public visit to the kingdom amid talks to secure bilateral ties.

“Katz is the first Israeli minister to head an official delegation in Saudi Arabia,” his ministry said in a statement, adding he would attend a United Nations World Tourism Organisation event in Riyadh.

During the two-day visit he is due to hold meetings “with his counterparts”, Katz’s office said without specifying which countries will be represented in such talks.

Following today's attack, analysts said that the offensive appeared to be a response to the Muslim countries' cosying up to Israel.