Saudi Arabia calls for “maximum pressure” on Israel amid longest blockade imposed on Gazans

Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan made the remarks after a meeting with regional counterparts in southern Turkey on Friday.

"I demand the exercise of maximum pressure to ensure the continuous and sufficient flow of aid into the Strip," Farhan said.

The call was made as US President Donald Trump has claimed that Saudi Arabia did not condition normalization with Israel.

But Saudi Arabia has reaffirmed its stance that it will not normalize relations with Israel without the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

Israel has imposed an all-out blockade on the entry of crucial humanitarian supplies into Gaza since early March.

On March 2, the regime closed off all crossings into Gaza and blocked the entry of essential supplies, including food, medicine, and water.

Gaza Health Ministry has warned that “the lack of adequate nutrition and drinking water will compound health challenges, with the continued ban on vaccinations for children, especially polio vaccinations.”

The ministry has warned that at least 60,000 children suffer from severe malnourished and related health complications.

The siege has resulted in the closure of 21 nutrition centers and has disrupted care for the already severely malnourished children of Gaza.

Humanitarian agencies have warned that famine is imminent if aid deliveries are not urgently restored.

The UN and other organizations say that without food, clean water and medical supplies, Gaza's population, already pushed to the brink, faces the risk of mass starvation.