Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discusses Syria and Gaza with Iraqi PM

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani visited Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, where he discussed the latest developments in Syria with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

They met in the ancient north-west city of AlUla, home to Saudi Arabia's first Unesco heritage site, before Mr Al Sudani flew back to Baghdad.

Mr Al Sudani stressed the importance of maintaining the unity of Syrian territory, adding that any future governance should include all Syrian people. He said Iraq was willing to work with neighbours to help establish security and stability, the Prime Minister's office announced on Facebook.

He also stressed the importance of keeping Syrian internal affairs free from outside interference. The leaders met as militias backed by Turkey and the US clashed in northern Syria, and after Israel bombed a large portion of Syria's weapons stocks and naval capacity.

The meeting focused on strengthening bilateral ties between the nations, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Gaza was also a point of discussion, with the leaders highlighting the importance of efforts to reach a ceasefire and the need to strengthen relief work, the Iraqi statement said. It said they talked about “the need to uphold and sustain the ceasefire in Lebanon, and working to ensure adherence to the agreed terms”.

Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza, which has raged since October 2023, has killed more than 45,000 people, local health officials in the enclave say.

The Israeli army began its offensive after Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people, according to a government tally.

Parties on all sides of negotiations have made encouraging statements about progress towards a ceasefire this December.