France and Saudi Arabia to reschedule UN conference amid Israel-Iran tensions

A United Nations conference planned to be hosted by France and Saudi Arabia to work toward a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine has been postponed amid escalating tensions after Israel's military strikes on Iran, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday.

Macron said logistically, neither the Palestinian Authority nor Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman could attend the conference scheduled for June 17-20 in New York due to the military escalation in the region.

Both Israel and Iran have closed their airspace amid missile and drone attacks, while flights in other countries have also been disrupted by the conflict.

Macron said the meeting would be rescheduled as soon as possible.

"This postponement cannot undermine our determination to move forward with the implementation of the two-state solution," Macron told a news conference in Paris."Whatever the circumstances, I have stated my determination to recognize the State of Palestine."

The US administration sent a diplomatic cable earlier this week discouraging governments from attending the conference, according to a Reuters report.

The Saudi Crown Prince on Friday talked by phone with Macron as well as US President Donald Trump about the latest development in the region, according to Arab News.

Trump and the Saudi Crown Prince discussed the critical importance of de-escalation and resolving all disputes through diplomatic means, the Saudi Press Agency reported. They also stressed the need for continued joint work to achieve security, peace, and stability in the Middle East.

Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have suffered from severe famine and Israeli bombings and shootings that caused dozens of civilian deaths almost daily.