Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Monday strongly condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s suggestion that a Palestinian state could be established on Saudi territory, calling it a “continuous attack on Arab countries and interference in their affairs.”

In a statement cited by the National News Agency, Salam reaffirmed “the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to establish their own independent state on their territory, in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative adopted at the Beirut summit.”

The 2002 Beirut summit saw the adoption of the Saudi-proposed Arab Peace Initiative, which offered Israel full peace and normalization of relations with Arab states in exchange for withdrawing from territories occupied since 1967 — the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Syrian Golan Heights — establishing a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and finding a solution to the Palestinian refugee issue.

Salam also voiced support for Egypt’s call for an emergency Arab summit, set for Feb. 27, to adopt a unified stance against what he called a “dangerous plan targeting Palestine, its people, and other Arab states.” He expressed hope that the meeting would produce “a unified Arab position to put an end to plans for destruction and displacement.”

Egypt announced Sunday that it would host the summit to address “serious recent developments” related to the Palestinian issue, following former U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal to place Gaza under American control. The meeting comes as Egypt rallies regional support against Trump’s plan, which includes relocating Gaza’s population to Egypt and Jordan and placing Palestinian territory under U.S. administration for reconstruction.

Before Salam’s remarks, the Lebanese Foreign Ministry issued a statement in the same vein, denouncing Netanyahu’s comments. “We express our solidarity with Saudi Arabia against any threat to its security, stability, sovereignty, and territorial integrity,” it said. The ministry also rejected “all attempts to expel Palestinians or settle them, especially in Lebanon,” referencing Trump’s repeated statements on the matter and reaffirming Lebanon’s support for a two-state solution.

Netanyahu’s comments came during a television interview Thursday with Israeli right-wing journalist Yaakov Bardugo. When Bardugo mentioned the prospect of diplomatic normalization with Saudi Arabia, he appeared to misspeak, saying, “There would be no progress without a Saudi state.” Netanyahu interrupted, asking, “A Palestinian state?” before adding, “Unless you want the Palestinian state to be in Saudi Arabia. The Saudis have a lot of territory.” He then pivoted to discussing the 2020 Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel and several Arab nations, concluding, “I think we should let this process take its course.”

The suggestion of a Palestinian state outside Gaza and the West Bank has drawn widespread regional condemnation. “The kingdom categorically rejects these statements, which aim to divert attention from the successive crimes committed by the Israeli occupation against our Palestinian brothers in Gaza, including the ethnic cleansing they are subjected to,” the Saudi Foreign Ministry said.

Saudi Arabia began negotiations in 2020 for closer ties with Israel in exchange for a defense pact with Washington and U.S. support for a civilian nuclear program. However, discussions were halted following the outbreak of war in Gaza, triggered by the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israeli territory. Riyadh has since conditioned any recognition of Israel on the establishment of a Palestinian state.