Frankly Speaking: Should Israel pay for rebuilding Gaza?

Prince Turki - Saudi-Lebanon ties
0 seconds of 1 minute, 0Volume 90%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
Next Up
Prince Turki - Who pays to rebuild Gaza?
02:06
00:00
01:00
01:00
 
Short Url
Updated 02 March 2025
Follow

Frankly Speaking: Should Israel pay for rebuilding Gaza?

Frankly Speaking: Should Israel pay for rebuilding Gaza?
  • Former Saudi intelligence chief Prince Turki Al-Faisal believes Israel bears financial responsibility for the damage in Gaza and West Bank
  • Says hosting of US-Russia talks in Riyadh to end Ukraine war has reinforced Saudi Arabia’s role as a key global diplomatic actor

RIYADH: Prince Turki Al-Faisal, Saudi Arabia’s former intelligence chief and ambassador to the US and UK, has long been vocal about the plight of the Palestinian people and the destruction caused by Israel’s military campaigns.

Now, in the wake of the latest war in Gaza, he has called for a fundamental shift in how reconstruction efforts are financed — by forcing Israel to contribute to rebuilding the very infrastructure it has repeatedly destroyed.

Appearing on the Arab News current affairs program “Frankly Speaking,” Prince Turki laid out his case for why Israel should bear financial responsibility for the damage it has inflicted on Gaza and the West Bank — rather than the Gulf states footing the bill.

“I have been saying this for some time now, that there should be a fund, a worldwide fund for the reconstruction, not just in Gaza, but also in the West Bank. And Israel should be forced to chip in to that fund,” he told “Frankly Speaking” host Katie Jensen.

“We can’t have Israel, every time we reconstruct Gaza or the West Bank, coming and demolishing what has been reconstructed. That is unacceptable.

“And I think from now on, it is an issue of finality rather than temporary or procedural actions that are taken to build and then wait for the next round of destruction that comes from Israel. There has to be a finality for this situation by an end to the conflict.”




Prince Turki Al-Faisal spoke on the crisis in Gaza, Ukraine, Lebanon and other hotspots on ‘Frankly Speaking.’ (AN Photo)

Israel mounted its military operation in Gaza in retaliation for the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, which saw some 1,200 people killed, most of them civilians, and around 250 taken hostage, many of them foreign nationals.

At least 50,000 Palestinians were killed in the ensuing conflict and some 1.9 million displaced from their homes before a ceasefire deal was finally agreed on Jan. 19. Much of the enclave now lies in ruins and humanitarian needs are immense.

Prince Turki said a permanent ceasefire was the only way to guarantee that reconstruction efforts were not repeatedly undone by future Israeli military operations.

“The next phase of the ceasefire, as we have seen, will see a permanent ceasefire come into effect not just in Gaza but all of Palestine,” he said.

“That is the only way that we can guarantee that whatever is reconstructed can remain as a viable Palestinian state that can become independent and self-governing with all of the rights of its people.”

While much of the world’s focus has been on Gaza, Prince Turki warned that Israeli policies in the West Bank, where refugee camps have been raided by troops and settler violence has increased, should not be overlooked.

“The struggle for Palestine has not ended with the ceasefire in Gaza,” he said. “We see the Benjamin Netanyahu government doing similar things to what they did in Gaza in the West Bank, although at a slower pace than they did in Gaza.”

“They’re uprooting people in the West Bank, emptying some of the refugee camps there, and forcibly driving residents of the camps out with no destination. That is unacceptable as well. That is a form of ethnic cleansing. And yet Israel gets away with it, and nobody — especially not the US — condemns it.”

US President Donald Trump recently caused an international stir by sharing an AI-generated video on his Truth Social account depicting Gaza as a luxury holiday resort. In the surreal video, Palestinian children are seen emerging from rubble into a glitzy cityscape with cash raining from the sky. Elsewhere, Trump is seen sipping drinks with Netanyahu on a beachfront.




Palestinians inspect the damage outside Gaza’s Al-Shifa hospital after the Israeli military withdrew from the complex housing the hospital amid battles between Israel and Hamas. (AFP/File Photo)

The video was a reference to comments Trump made in recent weeks about the possibility of removing the Palestinian people en masse to Egypt and Jordan and rebuilding Gaza as a “Riviera of the Middle East.”

When asked what Trump was hoping to achieve by sharing the video, Prince Turki said: “I don’t know. No shock can be enough of a reaction to what he’s up to. Some people have said that he does that in order to instigate or to inspire reaction in one form or another.

“Well, he doesn’t need to do that, because definitely the brutality of the Israeli treatment of the Palestinians does inspire reactions not just from the Arab world but from the world community.”

Despite the controversy, Prince Turki noted that the international community’s response to the war in Gaza had been unprecedented. “I must say that throughout this brutal attack on the Palestinians by the Netanyahu government, the world reaction has been quite good,” he said.

“You saw the demonstrations that took place and are still taking place in various places around the world in opposition to this brutality and in support of the freedom and independence of a Palestinian state. That is a very healthy sign.”

With the Arab League holding an extraordinary summit on March 4 in Cairo to discuss alternative proposals for Gaza’s postwar future, among other pressing issues facing the region, Prince Turki was cautious about predicting the outcome of the talks.

“I really have no idea whatsoever,” he said. “Of course, I was not party to the talks and I have not seen any public statement about them. What I read in speculation, you know, in media outlets, whether in Israel or America or the Arab world, I would wait until the meeting takes place and we see what is said by the officials themselves.”




Lebanese Army vehicles patrol the area of Marjayoun in southern Lebanon near the border with Israel on October 25, 2024. Israel expanded operations in Lebanon nearly a year after Hezbollah began exchanging fire in support of its ally, Hamas, following the Palestinian group's deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. (AFP/File Photo)

Asked whether Hamas could have a role to play in governing postwar Gaza, perhaps as part of the Palestinian Authority, and whether the West would tolerate such an arrangement, Prince Turki said there were those within the Palestinian militant group who rightly prioritize the needs of the Gazan people who could well be included.

“When you say Hamas, there are individuals who are definitely neutral, if you like, and more in terms of not bound by party or by commitment to either Hamas or Fatah or any of the other Palestinian groupings there,” he said.

“Those are the people, I think, who should be in charge of Gaza and meeting the needs of the people of Gaza.”

Turning to Lebanon, Prince Turki expressed optimism about the country’s new government, headed by President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. Aoun arrives in Saudi Arabia on Monday on his first official trip abroad since being elected president on January 9.

The new government was created after more than two years of political paralysis, which had prevented Lebanon’s recovery from its devastating financial crisis that began in 2019 and the 15-month conflict between Israel and Hezbollah that began in October 2023.

“The Kingdom has wholeheartedly supported the actions of the Lebanese parliament in electing the president,” Prince Turki said. “And now the president has designated a prime minister and I think they have announced a (cabinet) that hopefully will take its place as the ruling government of Lebanon.”

He added: “I think the Lebanese people are tired of having to be the sacrificial lamb, if you like, for either sectarian or other political factions, whether they be Hezbollah or some other Lebanese parties in the course of the development in the future.

“So, it is the Lebanese people, I think, who will be the safeguards of this new direction. And I hope that the support that is coming to Lebanon, not just from Saudi Arabia, but from the world community, will help that government to become more effective in meeting the needs of the Lebanese people.”

Although the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia remains a substantial force in Lebanon, its mauling by Israel has left it severely diminished, allowing the Lebanese state to reassert itself. Prince Turki said Saudi investors are now eager to return to Lebanon.




Speaking to host Katie Jensen, Prince Turki laid out his case for why Israel should bear financial responsibility for the damage it has inflicted on Gaza and the West Bank. (AN Photo)

“I hear from Saudis here that they’re willing and anxious to be able, if you like, to go back to Lebanon,” he said. “Those who have not invested yet, I think, are also thinking of the opportunities there.

“The Lebanese people are a very talented people, and Lebanon has always been a commercial hub for the Arab world. I remember my late father, King Faisal, used to say in those days, of course, that Lebanon is the lungs of the Arab world. I hope it returns to that.”

The Kingdom recently hosted high-level talks between the US and Russia to discuss a potential peace deal in Ukraine and other topics. In doing so, they reinforced Saudi Arabia’s position as a key player in global diplomacy.

“They seem to have set a course forward on a mutual return of diplomatic representation and also mutual cooperation, not only politically but also in terms of commercial and other enterprises that can bring benefit to their two peoples,” Prince Turki said of Moscow and Washington.

“It’s good to see that the potential for nuclear war between America and Russia has decreased incredibly. Is a reassuring sign that we do not face a nuclear holocaust, for which there might have been a reason had this meeting not taken place.”

Prince Turki, who is a co-founder and trustee of the Saudi-headquartered King Faisal Foundation, an international philanthropic organization, emphasized that the Kingdom’s diplomatic efforts extended beyond Ukraine.

Alluding to Riyadh’s facilitation of peace parleys between Eritrea and Ethiopia; Djibouti and Ethiopia; and between the Houthi militia and the UN-recognized government of Yemen, he said: “Saudis are proud that they are the place where people are coming to find solutions.”

 


Trump says two weeks is ‘maximum’ for Iran decision

Trump says two weeks is ‘maximum’ for Iran decision
Updated 53 min 54 sec ago
Follow

Trump says two weeks is ‘maximum’ for Iran decision

Trump says two weeks is ‘maximum’ for Iran decision
  • Trump also played down the possibility of asking Israel to halt its attacks
  • The US president dismissed the chance of success in talks between European powers and Iran

MORRISTOWN, United States: President Donald Trump said Friday that Iran had a “maximum” of two weeks to avoid possible US air strikes, indicating he could take a decision before the fortnight deadline he set a day earlier.

Trump added that Iran “doesn’t want to talk to Europe,” dismissing the chance of success in talks between European powers and Iran in Geneva on resolving the conflict between Israel and Iran.

Trump also played down the possibility of asking Israel to halt its attacks, after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran would not resume talks with the United States until Israel relented.

“I’m giving them a period of time, and I would say two weeks would be the maximum,” Trump told reporters when asked if he could decide to strike Iran before that.

He added that the aim was to “see whether or not people come to their senses.”

Trump had said in a statement on Thursday that he would “make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks” because there was a “substantial chance of negotiations” with Iran.

Those comments had been widely seen as opening a two-week window for negotiations to end the war between Israel and Iran, with the European powers rushing to talks with Tehran.

But his latest remarks indicated that Trump could still make his decision before that if he feels that there has been no progress toward dismantling Iran’s nuclear program.

Trump dismissed the chances of Europe making a difference, saying the talks between Britain, France, Germany and EU diplomats and Tehran’s foreign minister “didn’t help.”

“Iran doesn’t want to speak to Europe. They want to speak to us. Europe is not going to be able to help in this,” Trump told reporters as he arrived in Morristown, New Jersey.

Asked if he would ask Israel to stop its attacks as Iran had asked, Trump said it was “very hard to make that request right now.”

“If somebody’s winning, it’s a little bit harder to do than if somebody’s losing, but we’re ready, willing and able, and we’ve been speaking to Iran, and we’ll see what happens.”


In Istanbul, top Arab League diplomats discuss Iran-Israel war

In Istanbul, top Arab League diplomats discuss Iran-Israel war
Updated 20 June 2025
Follow

In Istanbul, top Arab League diplomats discuss Iran-Israel war

In Istanbul, top Arab League diplomats discuss Iran-Israel war
  • The ministers were in Turkiye’s largest city on the eve of weekend gathering of the OIC
  • Some 40 top diplomats are slated to join the weekend gathering

ISTANBUL: Arab League foreign ministers gathered in Istanbul late Friday to discuss the escalating war between Iran and Israel, Turkish state news agency Anadolu said, quoting diplomatic sources.

The ministers were in Turkiye’s largest city on the eve of weekend gathering of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which was also slated to discuss the air war launched a week ago.

Israel began its assault in the early hours of June 13, saying Iran was on the verge of developing nuclear weapons, triggering an immediate immediate retaliation from Tehran in the worst-ever confrontation between the two arch-rivals.

Some 40 top diplomats are slated to join the weekend gathering of the OIC which will also have a session dedicated to discussing the Iran-Israel crisis, the Turkish foreign ministry said.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who met with his counterparts from Britain, France and Germany in Geneva on Friday, will also attend and address the diplomats, the ministry said.

Earlier on Friday, Araghchi said Tehran was ready to “consider diplomacy” again only if Israel’s “aggression is stopped.”

The Arab League ministers were expected to release a statement following their meeting, Anadolu said.


US to move third aircraft carrier closer to Mideast conflict

US to move third aircraft carrier closer to Mideast conflict
Updated 20 June 2025
Follow

US to move third aircraft carrier closer to Mideast conflict

US to move third aircraft carrier closer to Mideast conflict
  • Navy official confirms USS Gerald R. Ford will depart for Europe next week
  • USS Carl Vinson carrier strike group already in Middle East, soon to be joined by USS Nimitz

WASHINGTON: The USS Gerald R. Ford will depart for Europe next week, a Navy official said Friday, placing a third American aircraft carrier in closer proximity to the Middle East as Israel and Iran trade strikes.
Israel launched an unprecedented air campaign against Iran last week, and US President Donald Trump has said he is weighing whether to join Israel in the fight.
“The Gerald Ford carrier strike group will depart Norfolk (Virginia) the morning of June 24 for a regularly scheduled deployment to the US European Command area of responsibility,” the Navy official said.
The USS Carl Vinson carrier strike group has been operating in the Middle East since earlier this year, taking part in an air campaign against Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
And a US defense official has confirmed that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth ordered the Nimitz carrier strike group to the Middle East, saying it was “to sustain our defensive posture and safeguard American personnel.”
Trump said Thursday he will decide whether to join Israel’s strikes on Iran within the next two weeks, citing a chance of negotiations to end the conflict.
That deadline comes after a tense few days in which the US president publicly mulled hitting Iran and said that Tehran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was an “easy target.”
Trump had spent weeks pursuing a diplomatic path toward a deal to replace the nuclear deal with Iran that he tore up in his first term in 2018, but has since backed Israel’s attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities and military top brass.
A key issue is that the United States is the only country with the huge “bunker buster” bombs that could destroy Iran’s crucial Fordo nuclear enrichment plant.
A number of key figures in his “Make America Great Again” movement have vocally opposed US strikes on Iran, and Trump’s promise to extract the United States from its “forever wars” in the Middle East played a role in his 2016 and 2024 election wins.


GCC chief hails UN adoption of landmark resolution on strategic cooperation

GCC chief hails UN adoption of landmark resolution on strategic cooperation
Updated 20 June 2025
Follow

GCC chief hails UN adoption of landmark resolution on strategic cooperation

GCC chief hails UN adoption of landmark resolution on strategic cooperation
  • Jasem Albudaiwi describes agreement between the organizations as a major step forward in deepening regional and international collaboration
  • Its adoption reflects the respected status of the GCC as a proactive regional partner in efforts to support global peace and security, he adds

RIYADH: The secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Jasem Albudaiwi, on Friday welcomed the adoption by the UN General Assembly of a landmark resolution on collaboration between the organizations.

He described the agreement, formally titled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Gulf Cooperation Council” and the first of its kind, as a major step forward in deepening regional and international collaboration, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The resolution, adopted on Monday, was submitted to the UN on behalf of GCC member states by Kuwait, which currently holds the presidency of the regional organization.

Albudaiwi said its adoption reflects the respected status of the GCC as a proactive regional partner in efforts to support global peace and security. It signifies a new phase of strategic partnership between the organizations, he added, underscored by concrete plans and activities to enhance cooperation.

He praised Kuwait for the diplomatic efforts of the nation’s mission to the UN in New York, and said the success of the resolution embodies the spirit of unity within the GCC and its commitment to working constructively with international partners across multilateral platforms.


19 injured in Israeli port after Iran missile barrage

19 injured in Israeli port after Iran missile barrage
Updated 20 June 2025
Follow

19 injured in Israeli port after Iran missile barrage

19 injured in Israeli port after Iran missile barrage
  • Projectile slammed into an area by the docks in Haifa on Friday afternoon

JERUSALEM: At least 19 people were injured in the northern Israeli port city of Haifa as Iran fired a fresh barrage of missiles on Friday afternoon, authorities said.
Iran has been launching daily missile salvos at Israel for the past week since a wide-ranging Israeli attack on its nuclear and military facilities triggered war.
One projectile slammed into an area by the docks in Haifa on Friday afternoon where it damaged a building and blew out windows, littering the ground with rubble, AFP images showed.
Israel’s foreign ministry said it struck “next to” the Al-Jarina mosque.
The locations of missile strikes in Israel are subject to strict military censorship rules and are not always provided in detail to the public.
A spokesman for Haifa’s Rambam hospital said 19 people had been injured in the city, with one in a serious condition.
A military official said that “approximately 20 missiles were launched toward Israel” in the latest Iranian salvo.
More than 450 missiles have been fired at the country so far, along with about 400 drones, according to Israel’s National Public Diplomacy Directorate.
The directorate added that the country’s tax authority had received over 25,000 claims linked to damage caused to buildings during the war.
Israel launched a massive wave of strikes on June 13, triggering an immediate retaliation from Tehran.
Residential areas in both countries have suffered, while Israel and Iran have traded accusations of targeting civilians.
At least 25 people have been killed in Israel by Iranian missile strikes, according to authorities.
Iran said on Sunday that Israeli strikes had killed at least 224 people, including military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians. It has not updated the toll since.