But Saudi and Iran re-established ties at China-brokered talks in 2023 and the war in Gaza has put attempts at normalisation on hold. Prince bin Salman said in September that Saudi Arabia would not recognise Israel without Palestinian statehood.

The war in Gaza erupted when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct 7 last year, killing more than 1,200 people.

Israel’s retaliatory campaign has killed more than 43,600 people in Gaza, most of them civilians, according to data from the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry that the United Nations considers reliable.

Israel is also fighting Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militia, in southern Lebanon.