Saudi Arabia has publicly denounced the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, calling it a blatant violation of Iran’s sovereignty. This marks the first official reaction from Saudi Arabia, to the incident that occurred on July 31.

The statement was made by Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji during an extraordinary meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation , OIC. Al-Khuraiji emphasized Saudi Arabia’s rejection of any violation of the sovereignty of states or interference in the internal affairs of any country. A statement was also issued by the OIC, holding Israel, fully responsible for the heinous attack.

OIC is being chaired by The Gambia this year.  

In a related development, Turkey has officially filed its request to join South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague. The case concerns Israel’s conduct in the Gaza war. Turkey has been among the most vocal critics of Israel’s military operations in Gaza. The court has yet to rule on these applications for involvement.