No recognition of Israel without Palestinian state: Saudi crown prince

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is also known as MbS, on Wednesday strongly denounced the "crimes of the Israeli occupation" against the Palestinian people. He asserted that the kingdom would not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

"The kingdom will not stop its tireless work towards the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and we affirm that the kingdom will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without that," the crown prince said who was addressing the advisory Shura Council on behalf of his father, King Salman.

Earlier this year, two sources familiar with Riyadh's thinking revealed that Saudi Arabia had put on hold US-backed plans for the kingdom to normalise ties with Israel following the outbreak of war between Israel and the militant Palestinian group Hamas that rules Gaza in October of the previous year.

This decision marked a swift reordering of Saudi Arabia's diplomatic priorities, despite MbS having indicated just weeks before the fighting that Riyadh was getting closer to a deal.

According to the two sources, the US-backed talks on the normalization of Saudi-Israel ties, which is considered a key step for the kingdom to secure a US defence pact in exchange, will experience some delay due to the recent developments.

Prior to MbS addressing the Shura Council, the members of the council took an oath of office before him on Wednesday.