Saudi Arabia ready to normalise ties with Israel: US President

The United States (US) President Joe Biden has said that Saudi Arabia is ready to normalise its ties with long-standing rival Israel.

He made the remarks during an interview at Late-Night Comic with Middle East Eye on Tuesday.

In an interview, the host asked the US President about the ongoing genocide in Gaza by the Israeli authorities.

"Every day we see these horrible images out of Gaza. And is there a path forward? Is there a safe future the people who live there?" the journalist questioned.

"Look, first of all, there are hostages being held, [who] must be released. Ramadan is coming up and there's been an agreement by the Israelis that they would not engage in activities during Ramadan as well. In order to give us time to get all the hostages out," Biden responded.

"That gives us time to begin the move in directions that a lot of Arab countries are prepared to move in. For example, Saudi Arabia is ready to recognise Israel. Jordans, Egypt, there are six other states, I've been working with Qatar," he added.

"The only way Israel ultimately survives, and I make no bones about it. I get criticised for having said a long time ago, you need not be a Jew to be a Zionist. I am a Zionist. Were there no Israel, there's not a Jew in the world who'd be safe." 

The US has been trying for a long to establish formal diplomatic relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, two top US allies in the Middle East.

However, Israel continues to intensify violence against Palestinians in the occupied territories, drawing criticism from Palestinian rights defenders who have urged Biden to hold Israel accountable for human rights abuses.

Few Arab states have already recognised Israel since its establishment in 1948. But, Riyadh is sticking with the Arab Peace Initiative, which put a condition for Tel Aviv to withdraw from Arab territories and the establishment of a Palestinian state.

The Israeli genocide in Gaza, which erupted in October last year, has led to the death of 30,000 Palestinians, majority women and children, with thousands still under the rubble and many suffering from acute injuries.

Rafah, bordering Egypt, is the last refuge for Palestinians who were pushed out of northern Gaza on the pretext of refuge. However, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) also launched brutal attacks on these so-called safe sites.

According to Al-Jazeera, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has openly declared to target Rafah with the condition that the assault might be postponed if a hostage deal is negotiated.

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), said in a statement that the last successful delivery of food in Gaza was on January 23. 

UNRWA appealed for increased international aid to prevent famine in the Palestinian territory.