However, Saudi Arabia's response to Israel's attack on Gaza in October 2023 had been relatively muted. Amid the ongoing ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, a new tension has emerged that can affect Tel Aviv and Saudi Arabia's relations.

The Saudi response was swift — reiterating Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s demands for an independent Palestinian state as part of any normalization agreement and rejecting the “infringement on the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people” or “attempts to displace” them from their land.