Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman has thanked the international community for supporting the action in Yemen against the Houthis.

Presiding over the weekly Council of Ministers meeting at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh on Monday, the king briefed the ministers on the results of his discussions with various global leaders, including those from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Arab League and Muslim world.

King Salman said there has been a positive response to the operation, with complete support promised.

He said solidarity with the Kingdom at this critical juncture would help restore peace and security to the region and beyond.

The Kingdom will continue to invite Yemenis across the political spectrum to hold peace talks in Riyadh under the auspices of the GCC, he said.

“This would restore Yemen’s territorial integrity, see a return of the legitimate government, and remove the security threat to neighboring nations,” said the king.

“The Cabinet members rallied behind the wise decision taken by Saudi Arabia, and brotherly and friendly countries to participate in Operation Decisive Storm, in response to a request from Yemen President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi,” said Culture and Information Minister Adel Al-Toraifi.

He added the move would protect the people of Yemen from the Houthis, who were backed by regional powers that wanted to turn the country into a base for their expansionist plans in the region.

He said the Cabinet underlined the Sharm El-Sheikh Declaration and the resolutions of the 26th Arab Summit Conference that indicated full support for the military action carried out by the coalition.

The Cabinet also condemned the continued Israeli violations against the Palestinian people.

It renewed the Kingdom’s appeal for the international community to force Israel to implement resolutions for the creation of an independent Palestinian state based on the territories occupied since 1967.

Al-Toraifi said the Israeli prime minister’s opposition to an independent Palestinian state constitutes a blatant disregard for international law.

“The international community has to fulfill its responsibilities toward the victims of Israel’s aggressive policies. The only solution lies in the restoration of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and the establishment of an independent state,” he said.

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