Israeli attacks amount to war crimes: FM

Israeli attacks amount to war crimes: FM

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(MENAFN - The Peninsula) The dangerous situation in the occupied territories in Palestine requires urgent action to stop the Israeli attacks, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said yesterday at the UN General Assembly emergency meeting convened to discuss the situation in Palestine. He reaffirmed Qatar’s condemnation of the Israeli military forces attacks on defenceless civilians in Jerusalem neighbourhoods and holy places, which are war crimes and violations of human rights and international laws. The failure of the UN Security Council to bear its responsibility erodes trust in the credibility of UN to achieve its basic goal which is establishment of peace and security in the world, he said, calling on the international community to assume its responsibility. ''The international community must work seriously to ensure protection of the Palestinians and stop Israeli aggression against them. We wonder when the international community will act to deter Israel,” the Foreign Minister said, expressing his surprise about the silence of the international community and inaction against what Israel is doing in Gaza and Al Quds. He said the pace of Judaisation and settlements has increased to a point that can be described as ethnic cleansing. ''We must work to achieve a comprehensive settlement and the establishment of a Palestinian state with borders of 1967.” The attacks on Gaza have caused death of hundreds of civilians, in particular attack on Al Shati refugees camp where tens of civilians were killed including ten members of one family. H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani pointed out that Israel is still targeting residential towers in Gaza, killing hundreds including women and children. The State of Qatar denounces and condemns targeting the building of Qatar Red Crescent Society in Gaza, he said, emphasising that, ''Targeting residential buildings, media and humanitarian institutions and hospitals are a blatant violation of international laws and humanitarian conventions.” The Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs reaffirmed Qatar’s supportive positions to a just solution of the Palestinian issue. ''Qatar will continue to be committed to all sincere efforts aimed at bringing a permanent solution to the Middle East cause. We support all sincere efforts to de-escalation in Jerusalem and Gaza, and we especially thank Egypt and Jordan for their efforts to halt the escalation.” Meanwhile, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs yesterday held an Arab ministerial coordination meeting to discuss developments in Palestine. The Foreign Minister also participated in a meeting of Arab foreign ministers with H E António Guterres, SecretaryGeneral of the United Nations. The Foreign Minister stressed the importance of achieving the desired goals of the meeting, serious engagement of the international community to achieve sustainable peace in the Middle East, which requires the immediate cessation of attacks on Islamic and Christian sanctities and the cessation of displacement and settlement operations and policies in all the occupied lands; not subjecting the settlement decision to associations; cessation of extremist efforts, as happened in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood, as well as stopping the bombing, ending the war on the Gaza Strip, and rapidly joining efforts to rebuild the strip by the international community, and international humanitarian and development institutions. He pointed out that the current events should be a new incentive for the international community to work more seriously towards achieving a just, comprehensive and permanent settlement of the Palestinian issue and the establishment of the Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital on the 1967 borders in accordance with the two-state solution, international legitimacy decisions, and the Arab and international peace initiative, which puts a final end to recurrence.MENAFN21052021000063011010ID1102110099

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