In recent discussions with the United States, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has warned the US and Israel that a ground invasion of Gaza could deepen the crisis and prolong the cycle of violence, according to a New York Times article.
Mohammed bin Salman met with a group of 10 senators in the Saudi capital Riyadh a week ago, impressing upon them his concern about the need to protect Palestinian civilians.
“The Saudi leadership was hopeful that a ground operation could be avoided for reasons of stability as well as the loss of life,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, (D-Connecticut), told the Times on October 26.
US diplomatic officials are certain that the Saudis are against a ground invasion, because they want "a measured response that won’t cascade into a longer and deeper conflict," according to Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R-South Carolina), also present on the trip.
"[He] understands that this was an act of terror," Graham told the Times.
Near to normalization
Saudi Arabia had been close to achieving a normalization agreement with Israel until the attack by Hamas on October 7, which many experts believe was intended to interrupt and prevent such an agreement.
The Saudis had been encouraged by the success of the Abraham Accords, which saw normalization deals involving Bahrain, Morocco, and the United Arab Emirates.
The Saudis are not alone in their concern that an invasion of Gaza would destabilize the region further. Egypt and Jordan have also voiced concern, with both seeing the implications of an invasion as a sharp increase in refugees to their countries.
Despite these concerns, American and Saudi officials seem to still believe a normalization agreement can be worked out, with many of the shared interests that pushed them together still there.
Although the majority of opinions point to a normalization deal being postponed until the conclusion of combat, some think it may be possible to integrate the two and frame the normalization agreement as part of securing greater rights for Palestinians.