Veteran Saudi diplomat warns of consequences of Israel’s Gaza war, regional spillover risk

With no end in sight to Israel’s onslaught on Gaza, a veteran Saudi diplomat has warned that the conflict could contribute to regional terrorism and spill over into neighboring countries.

Dr. Ali Awadh Asseri, a former Saudi ambassador to Lebanon and Pakistan, sounded the alarm during an appearance on “Frankly Speaking,” the weekly Arab News talk show. “Israel has to stop (the atrocities in Gaza) immediately and deal in a humane way (so that) the hostages (taken by Hamas are not) tortured. That’s the answer,” he told Katie Jensen, the host of “Frankly Speaking.”

He added: “We hope that a ceasefire will take place in Gaza. Ramadan is coming. And the brutality that we have seen will not make anyone happy, any human being happy, especially in the Muslim world.”

Asked about the risks of a regional spillover, he said the war was already contributing to tensions in the north of Israel and in the south of Lebanon. “There’s tit-for-tat ongoing between Hezbollah and Israel.” He added: “We hope (war) doesn’t escalate because, if we remember, the 2006 (Israel-Hezbollah) war devastated Lebanon. And all Lebanese, they really don’t want war. They want peace. They have a bad economy. They have bad governance.”

While the citizens of Lebanon may “desire nothing but peace and prosperity,” Asseri said the situation was complicated by the strength of Hezbollah in the country, and by extension, Iran’s control over the region. “For Hezbollah, the command comes from Iran and it depends on what Iran wants. Hezbollah listens to the command that comes from Iran,” he said.

The full episode of Frankly Speaking will be released tonight.