RIYADH: Saudi Arabia said there will be no diplomatic relations between the Kingdom and Israel unless Palestinians had an independent state, state news agency SPA reported early on Wednesday, citing a statement from the foreign ministry.

The statement by the foreign ministry said Riyadh was steadfast on Palestinians obtaining their legitimate rights.

“The Kingdom has communicated its firm position to the US administration that there will be no diplomatic relations with Israel unless an independent Palestinian state is recognized on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital,” the statement said.

The official note addressed comments attributed to US National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby, without outlining his remarks.

Reuters reported on Tuesday that “Kirby said that the Biden administration has received positive feedback that Saudi Arabia and Israel are willing to continue to have normalization discussions.”

The Saudi statement also demanded “Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip stops and all Israeli occupation forces withdraw from the Gaza Strip.”

The Kingdom called on permanent members of the UN Security Council to “expedite the recognition of the Palestinian state.”

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on Monday.

Blinken is on a regional tour to discuss the situation in Gaza with allies. He arrived in Israel after visiting Egypt and Qatar on Tuesday.