Riyadh: US magazine The Atlantic has reported that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman expressed a lack of personal concern for the "Palestinian issue" during a conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in January. The two leaders reportedly discussed the possibility of normalising relations with Israel amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

According to the report, Blinken asked whether Saudi Arabia would tolerate periodic Israeli reentries into Gaza as part of a potential normalisation agreement. The crown prince purportedly responded, "They can come back in six months, a year, but not on the back end of my signing something like this."

He added, “Seventy percent of my population is younger than me. For most of them, they never really knew much about the Palestinian issue. And so they’re being introduced to it for the first time through this conflict. It’s a huge problem. Do I care personally about the Palestinian issue? I don’t, but my people do, so I need to make sure this is meaningful.”

A Saudi official, however, has described this account of the conversation as “incorrect.”

Despite the new reported comments, Mohammed bin Salman has in the past publicly stated that Saudi Arabia will not normalise relations with Israel without the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

"The Kingdom will not cease its diligent efforts to establish an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital," he said at a recent annual address before the Shura Council in Riyadh.

"We confirm that Saudi Arabia will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel until that goal is achieved.”

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Wayanad: Kerala Police have registered a case after food kits bearing images of Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi were seized in Wayanad ahead of the by-elections. The kits, containing essentials like rice and sugar, were discovered near the residence of a Congress leader. Images of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddharamaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar were also reportedly found on the kits.

The case was registered under s. 173 of the Indian Penal Code and the Representation of the People Act. Around 30 kits were seized by the Election Commission’s flying squad in collaboration with the local police, days before the scheduled bypoll on November 13. Congress officials claimed the kits were intended for survivors of the July 30 landslide in Wayanad. However, the ruling Left Front alleged that the kits aimed to influence voters ahead of the by-election.

Priyanka Gandhi, contesting as the United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate, is up against CPI’s Sathyan Mokeri and BJP’s Navya Haridas in the upcoming poll. The by-election was necessitated after Rahul Gandhi vacated the Wayanad seat, opting to retain Rae Bareli following his victories in both constituencies in this year’s general elections.