The Al-Aqsa Flood Operation and the ensuing Gaza War of October 7, 2023, unfolded amidst a U.S.-led effort to establish a new regional order predicated on expanded normalization with Israel. This conflict significantly impacted the strategies of key West Asian actors and reshaped the potential future configuration of the region. Given Saudi Arabia’s pivotal role in the Arab and Islamic worlds and the influence of public opinion and media, this study examines the relationship between Riyadh’s stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the outbreak of the war, analyzing the implications of the Gaza War for Saudi Arabia’s position on the Palestinian issue, normalization with Israel, and the rationale behind its policy shifts. This article addresses the central question: What impact has the Gaza War had on Saudi Arabia’s policy toward the Palestinian issue and normalization with Israel? The hypothesis posits that the war’s developments prompted Riyadh to reconsider its current policy, adopting a hybrid approach that blends elements of its traditional stance with features of its more recent orientation. While normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel remains likely, this hybrid approach will see the kingdom, emphasizing its national interests, reincorporate consideration of Palestinian rights. Employing a descriptive-analytical method and the theoretical framework of neoclassical realism, this article confirms this hypothesis, concluding that although Saudi Arabia’s policy under King Salman shifted away from the precondition of Palestinian statehood for normalization, the consequences of the Gaza War spurred Riyadh to adopt this hybrid course. Specifically, domestic and regional public opinion—shaped by media portrayals of the Gaza War and Palestinian suffering—coupled with a renewed perception of Israel as a threat and the increasing costs of normalization concerning identity and legitimacy, motivated Riyadh to pursue this approach despite U.S. pressure to accelerate normalization.