Saudi crown prince, US secretary of state discuss ways to achieve regional stability

By Ahmed Asmar

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed the efforts and ways to achieve security and stability in the region, according to local media on Tuesday.

According to the official Saudi Press Agency, bin Salman and Rubio held their meeting in the Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah.

During their meeting, they discussed several aspects of their bilateral ties, as well as opportunities for consolidating and developing relations across various fields, the Saudi broadcaster said.

"The two sides engaged in discussions regarding the latest regional and international developments, exchanging views and efforts aimed at achieving security and stability," it added.

The US is one of the mediators -- along with Qatar and Egypt -- in the ceasefire process between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, as their efforts continue to maintain the ceasefire in Gaza and secure prisoner swaps.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeks to extend the first phase of the prisoner exchange to secure the release of more Israeli captives without fulfilling military or humanitarian obligations outlined in the ceasefire deal, appeasing hardliners in his government.

Hamas, however, rejects this approach and insists that Israel abide by the ceasefire terms, urging mediators to push for immediate negotiations on the second phase, which includes a full Israeli withdrawal and an end to the war.

The ceasefire deal has been in place since January, pausing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed nearly 48,500 people, mostly women and children, and left the enclave in ruins.