United States - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday urged diplomatic efforts in the Middle East in order to prevent the conflict from widening after attacks in the region. "The Secretary-General urges all diplomatic efforts to avoid a wider conflagration," Guterres said, adding that "only through negotiation leading to a two-state solution can peace be achieved."
A statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Saudi Arabia was "closely monitoring the unprecedented developments between various Palestinian factions and the Israeli occupation forces, resulting in an escalation of violence on several fronts".
It said Riyadh calls for "an immediate cessation of the escalation" between both sides and "the protection of civilians".
It said Saudi Arabia had issued repeated warnings of a possible escalation in light of "the ongoing occupation and the deprivation of the Palestinian people of their legitimate rights, as well as the repeated deliberate provocations against their sanctities".
It urged the international community to "fulfill its responsibilities and activate a credible peaceful process leading to a two-state solution that achieves security and peace in the region and protects civilians".
Qatar expressed "deep concern" over the developments in the Gaza Strip.
A statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Israel was "solely responsible for the ongoing escalation due to its continuous violations of the rights of the Palestinian people, including its recent repeated intrusions into the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque under the protection of the Israeli police".
It called on the international community "to compel Israel to stop its blatant violations of international law, hold it accountable to respect legitimate international decisions and the historical rights of the Palestinian people, and prevent these events from being used as a pretext to ignite a new disproportionate war against Palestinian civilians in Gaza".
The statement reaffirmed Qatar's "consistent position in support of the Palestinian cause and the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including the establishment of their independent state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital."
The UAE expressed "deep concern" over the escalation in a statement that stressed the need "to stop the escalation and preserve the lives of civilians". The statement offered "sincere condolences" to all the victims of the recent fighting.
It called for "the immediate reactivating of the international Quartet to revive the path of Arab-Israeli peace", and urged the international community to advance all efforts made to achieve comprehensive and just peace, and prevent the region from being dragged to "new levels of violence, tension and instability".
Kuwait expressed its "grave concern" over developments between Israel and the Palestinians, blaming Israel for what it called its "blatant attacks". The foreign ministry in a statement called on the international community to "stop the provocative practices by the occupation" and the "policy of expanding settlements".
Egypt warned of "grave consequences" from an escalation in tensions between Israel and the Palestinians in a statement from the foreign ministry carried by the state news agency. It called for "exercising maximum restraint and avoiding exposing civilians to further danger". Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri also held a call with European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell to discuss developments between Israel and the Palestinians since Friday evening, stating that both sides should exercise restraint to avoid serious risks.
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