White House's Sullivan discusses Gaza war with Saudi crown prince

US negotiations aimed at reaching a deal normalizing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia halted

WASHINGTON:

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday to discuss efforts to create a sustainable peace between Israelis and Palestinians, the White House said.

They also discussed the humanitarian response in Gaza, including how to increase the flow of critical aid to the Palestinian enclave, as well as a range of bilateral issues, the White House said in a statement.

Sullivan will travel to Israel on Thursday and hold talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and members of the Israeli war cabinet on Thursday and Friday.

US negotiations aimed at reaching a deal normalizing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia were halted by the Gaza-based Hamas militant group's Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel in which 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 taken hostage.

On the other hand, Gaza's health ministry estimates that more than 18,000 people in Gaza have been killed.

Read UN demands ceasefire in Gaza as Israel, US show increasing divisions

All sides have said they want to resurrect the deal when the time is right.

US officials said Sullivan would also discuss with the Saudis efforts to deter ongoing Houthi attacks against international commercial vessels in the Red Sea.

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters that during his visit to Israel Sullivan would discuss with the Israelis the need for more surgical and precise strikes against Hamas targets in Gaza.

US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that Israel is losing support over its "indiscriminate" bombing of Gaza and that Netanyahu should change, exposing a new rift in relations with the Israeli prime minister.

Sullivan and the Saudi crown prince also discussed areas of deepening bilateral cooperation in the fields of security, commerce, space exploration, and advanced technologies, including open radio access (O-Ran) networks, the White House said.