Four top Middle Eastern diplomats reiterated calls for “irreversible” steps towards the recognition of a Palestinian state during talks on Gaza hosted by Saudi Arabia, state media reported, according to AFP.

The meeting — held on Thursday as US State Secretary Antony Blinken concluded his fifth crisis tour of the Middle East since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict — was attended by the foreign ministers of Egypt, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, as well as a senior Palestinian official.

“In their meeting, the ministers emphasized the need to end the war on the Gaza Strip, reach an immediate and complete ceasefire, ensure the protection of civilians in accordance with international humanitarian law, and lift all restrictions that impede the entry of humanitarian aid into the enclave,” the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

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