Qatar’s Prime Minister calls out Israel for committing genocide and ethnic cleansing in Gaza

Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said the situation in Gaza had deteriorated very badly in the month since Israeli occupation forces started bombing the neighbourhood.

The top official said the Israeli government was committing genocidal practices and crimes of ethnic cleansing against the Palestinian people.

Sheikh Mohammed, who met with France’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna, said their talks focused on all political and humanitarian dimensions of the crisis.

The leaders also discussed Qatar’s continuing mediation efforts aimed at the release of Israeli hostages and the need for relief convoys and humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza without interruptions.

Qatar emphasised the need to resume the provision of all basic needs to Palestinians — including communications services and fuel for health institutions. Depletion of fuel is currently threatening to put more Gaza hospitals out of service, thereby risking the lives of thousands of people.

He also spoke strongly about Israeli atrocities committed on a daily basis.

“Every day, the Israeli occupation continues to commit genocidal practices and crimes of ethnic cleansing against the Palestinians, not to mention the indiscriminate bombing of hospitals, schools, refugee camps, and other civilian facilities, in which the displaced, women, children, and the elderly have taken shelter,” he said.

“Indiscriminate bombings in residential neighbourhoods have been witnessed over the past few days. The occupation justified the bombings on suspicion of a leader there, making the cost of such targeting reach more than 400 persons in one neighbourhood. The international community’s reactions to these targeting weren’t enough and often at shameful levels,” added Sheikh Mohammed.

The continuation of these practices — despite urgent calls for a ceasefire by resolution by the United Nations General Assembly — undermines international efforts aimed at maintaining international peace and security.

HE the Prime Minister also demanded the international community to assume its moral and legal responsibilities to put an end to the Israeli aggression. He thanked France for its vote in favour of the UN resolution.

He said the international community did not fully appreciate the horrors of the events in Gaza and that it was treating the crisis with double standards. He said it had shaken the confidence of the people in the region in the international system.

Sheikh Mohammed promised to continue Qatar’s mediation efforts with regard to the release of hostages. But he said these efforts were at risk due to the spread of false reports and leaks about negotiations, in addition to the complexity of continued Israeli attacks.

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