Saudi Arabia announces emergency coalition to fund Palestinian Authority

ISTANBUL

Saudi Arabia announced on Thursday the launch of an emergency international coalition to fund the Palestinian Authority (PA), which governs parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Speaking at a press conference in New York on the sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said the coalition would provide direct financial support to the PA “with a number of important partners.”

He said Saudi Arabia will contribute $90 million for the effort.

The press conference came during a meeting of the Global Alliance for Implementation of the Two-State Solution, which included foreign ministers from Arab and European states such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and Norway.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty affirmed openness to the deployment of international forces in Gaza under a UN Security Council resolution, with the aim of helping the Palestinian Authority administer the enclave.

He said there is “consensus” on a temporary Palestinian administration of the territory without the participation of factions, though he did not provide further details.

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said the coalition affirmed there is an international consensus on implementing the two-state solution as the only path to achieving a just and comprehensive peace.

He added that the coalition considers the only obstacle to implementing the two-state solution to be “the extremist stance of the Israeli government, whose prime minister (Benjamin Netanyahu) openly declares that he will not allow the establishment of a Palestinian state.”

He pointed out that “all the actions of the Israeli prime minister prevent the achievement of just and comprehensive peace, including the genocide in Gaza, the expansion of settlements and land confiscations in the West Bank, his aggression against Syria and the sowing of discord there, as well as his aggression against Lebanon.”

In September 2024, Saudi Arabia announced the launch of the international coalition, and its first meeting was held in Riyadh at the end of October.

Earlier on Thursday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, in his speech to the UN General Assembly, called for enabling the Palestinian Authority to fully control Gaza, affirming its readiness to assume security and administrative responsibilities and disarm factions.

US President Donald Trump, in a meeting with Arab and Islamic leaders in New York this week, presented a 21-point plan aimed at ending Israel’s war on Gaza.

US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff confirmed that the plan put forward by Trump includes 21 points, but he did not disclose its details.

Axios said the plan’s main elements include the release of all remaining Israeli hostages, a permanent ceasefire and a phased Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

It also envisions a new administration in Gaza without Hamas, with some involvement from the Palestinian Authority, alongside a multinational security force made up of Palestinians and troops from Arab and Muslim countries.

The proposal calls for Arab and Muslim states to fund reconstruction and support the new administration in Gaza.