Raisi, Saudi prince discuss Israel-Hamas war

RIYADH, Oct 12 (AFP/Reuters): Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler and Iran's president spoke by phone about the war between Israel and Hamas, Saudi state media said early Thursday, their first call since a surprise rapprochement in March.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received a call on Wednesday from the Iranian leader, Ebrahim Raisi, during which they discussed "the current military situation in Gaza and its environs", the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said.
Prince Mohammed told Raisi that Riyadh is "communicating with all international and regional parties to stop the ongoing escalation", SPA said.
He also stressed "the kingdom's firm position towards supporting the Palestinian cause", it said.
Iranian state news agency IRNA also reported on the call, saying the two men discussed the "need to end war crimes against Palestine".
Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on Saturday that Israeli forces say killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians.
In Gaza, officials have reported more than 1,000 people killed in Israel's retaliatory campaign of air and artillery strikes.
US will always back Israel,
Blinken tells Netanyahu
Secretary of State Antony Blinken vowed on a visit Thursday that the United States will "always" back Israel but said the Palestinians also had "legitimate aspirations" not represented by militant group Hamas.
"You may be strong enough on your own to defend yourself. But as long as America exists, you will never, ever have to. We will always be there by your side," Blinken said during a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as war raged between Israel and Hamas.
Iran, Syria presidents call for
unity on Palestinian support
The presidents of Iran and Syria have urged Islamic countries to reach agreement on a position in support of Palestinians, a news agency linked to Iran's top security agency, Nournews, reported on Thursday.
"Islamic and Arab countries as well all free people of the world must reach a single position to stop the crimes of the Zionist regime against the oppressed Palestinian people," Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi told his Syrian counterpart over the telephone, Nournews reported.
On Wednesday, Raisi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the first telephone call between them since their countries agreed in a March deal, brokered by China, to resume ties.
Iran and Syria are long-time allies in the Middle East. Iran's economic influence in war-torn Syria has grown in recent years, supplying the government of President Bashar al-Assad with credit lines and winning lucrative business contracts.
Hamas claims to have freed
Israeli woman, two children
Palestinian militant group Hamas claimed Wednesday to have released an Israeli woman and her two children it said had been detained during fighting with Israeli forces, but Israeli television networks rejected the announcement.
The Israeli army when contacted said it was checking the claim.
"An Israeli settler and her two children were released after they were detained during the clashes," Ezzedine al-Qassem Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, said in a statement referring to the group's brutal assault on Israel on Saturday.
A video footage aired by Hamas television Al-Aqsa network showed a woman dressed in a blue shirt with two children in a barbed wired area that appeared to be between Israel and the Gaza Strip, while three Hamas fighters are seen walking away.
Israel forms unity govt as Hamas
still fighting outside Gaza
Israel formed an emergency unity government on Wednesday as it pounded Gaza to root out Hamas and deployed forces north of the densely populated Palestinian enclave, where the militants said they were still fighting after their cross-border assault.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to form a war cabinet with former defence minister and centrist opposition party leader Benny Gantz and focus entirely on the conflict, a joint statement from Gantz's National Unity party said.
US President Joe Biden condemned the surprise weekend attack on populated areas of southern Israel by hundreds of Hamas gunmen as "sheer evil", and he issued a warning seemingly aimed at its Iranian supporters.
Putin calls for talks between
Israeli and Palestinian forces
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday called for negotiations between Israeli and Palestinian forces and hoped the war would not expand.
Thousands have died over the last five days after Hamas fighters launched an unprecedented assault on Israel, which responded with a massive bombardment of the Gaza Strip which Hamas rules.
"It is necessary to avoid the expansion of the conflict at all cost, because if it happens it will have an impact on the international situation," Putin said.