Saudi Arabia launches relief campaign for Palestinians

Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia has launched a campaign to raise relief funds for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

The state-run Saudi Press Agency reported Thursday that King Salman has donated about $8 million to the fund and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has donated over $5 million. Funds will be raised through the online donation platform Sahem, which the kingdom has used to contribute to relief efforts in other countries. Contributions to the campaign exceed $15 million with more than 30,000 donors.

Before the outbreak of the war in Gaza, Saudi Arabia had been in talks with the U.S. over normalizing ties with Israel. The kingdom has called for a halt to the violence and for progress toward establishing an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.