Asked about normalization with Israel, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud said Friday that the kingdom’s priority is to end the war in Gaza “as a prelude to the establishment of a Palestinian state.”

The comments came a day after US President Donald Trump reportedly hosted Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Farhan Al-Saud to discuss normalization with Israel and de-escalation with Iran amid reports that the US is looking to secure Israeli-Saudi and Israeli-Syrian normalization.

“We call for an immediate, permanent and sustainable ceasefire in the Gaza Strip as a prelude to the establishment of a Palestinian state,” said Faisal Al-Saud at a press conference in Moscow alongside his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly rejected calls to end the war in Gaza as part of a deal to release the remaining 50 hostages. However, Hebrew media has reported that he is working with Trump on a plan to end the Gaza war and renew Israel’s commitment to a two-state solution as part of a deal to normalize ties with Syria, Saudi Arabia and other countries following the success of the Iran war.

Al-Saud said his country counts on Trump’s “leadership” to “finally settle the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”

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