Qatar will continue efforts to de-escalate tensions: PM
Doha
Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani on Wednesday received a phone call from Federal Chancellor of the Republic of Austria HE Christian Stocker.
During the call, they discussed bilateralrelations and ways to support and strengthen them, in addition to the latest developments in the region, particularly in the Gaza Strip and the occupied Palestinian territories, as well as a number of issues of common interest.
The Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs reaffirmed the State of Qatar's continued efforts, in cooperation with regional and international partners, to de-escalate tensions and promote stability and peace in the region.
The Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairsemphasised the importance of international solidarity to pressure all parties for the success of the State of Qatar's joint mediation efforts aimed at achieving a ceasefire in Gaza, securing the release of hostages and detainees, and ensuring the entry of humanitarian aid to address the dire situation in the Gaza Strip.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Qatar Tribune
2 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
Qatar reaffirms its rejection of using food, starvation of civilians as weapon of war
The State of Qatar has reiterated its rejection of the use of food and the starvation of civilians as a weapon of war, calling on the international community to compel Israel to allow the safe, sustained, and unobstructed entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, to be distributed by international humanitarian organizations. This came in a statement delivered by Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations HE Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al Thani during the UN Security Council's quarterly open debate on 'The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question' (MEPQ), held at UN Headquarters in New York. She emphasized that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is beyond description, amid widespread famine, the collapse of infrastructure and the healthcare system, the spread of disease, and a death toll surpassing 58,000, including nearly 18,000 children. She affirmed the State of Qatar's strong condemnation of Israel's ongoing attacks on civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, and residential areas, stressing that the forced displacement of Palestinians in any form constitutes a blatant violation of international humanitarian law. Sheikha Alya also stated that Qatar has made sincere efforts, in coordination with Egypt and the United States, to reach a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. She noted that past diplomatic efforts had yielded tangible results through previously reached agreements, and that current mediation efforts are ongoing to bridge the gap between the parties and secure an urgent agreement. She further condemned the statements made by Israel's Minister of Justice regarding the annexation of the West Bank, describing them as a continuation of illegal settlement policies and a flagrant violation of international law and UN Security Council Resolution 2334. She also denounced the approval of new settlement construction, and the attacks carried out by settlers as part of an ongoing series of crimes against the unarmed Palestinian population. She called for urgent international action to protect civilians and to ensure accountability for those responsible. She conveyed Qatar's condemnation of attempts by the Israeli occupation to alter the religious and historical status of holy sites, including the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli officials and settlers, the closure of the Jerusalem Fund, and the transfer of authority over Al Ibrahimi Mosque to a Jewish religious council. She said Qatar warned of the risks of regional spillover due to the conflict and condemned Israel's attacks on Syria, reaffirming its support for the Syrian Arab Republic's sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity, and the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people for stability and development. She also reaffirmed the State of Qatar's principled and unwavering support for Lebanon, its unity and territorial integrity, and called for the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from all Lebanese territory, urging all parties to uphold the ceasefire agreement. She expressed the State of Qatar's welcome of the upcoming United Nations High-Level International Conference on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution to be co-chaired next week by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the French Republic. Qatar hopes the conference will yield tangible results and clear international commitments, serving as a foundational step toward full UN membership for the State of Palestine. Sheikha Alya concluded by reaffirming Qatar's principled and consistent stance in support of a just and sustainable solution to the Palestinian issue, based on international legitimacy and ensuring the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, foremost among them, the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. She stressed that Qatar will spare no effort in facilitating and supporting efforts toward achieving this goal.
Qatar Tribune
4 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
Qatar, Arab League, OIC and 9 countries condemn Knesset's approval of bill to impose 'Israeli sovereignty' over occupied West Bank
The State of Qatar, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Republic of Indonesia, the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the State of Palestine, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Republic of Turkiye, the United Arab Emirates, the Arab League, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation condemn, in the strongest terms, the Israeli Knesset's approval of the declaration calling for imposing the so-called "Israeli sovereignty" over the occupied West Bank. They consider the move a flagrant and unacceptable violation of international law and a flagrant violation of relevant Security Council resolutions, most notably resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973), and 2334 (2016), which all affirm the invalidity of all measures and decisions aimed at legitimizing the occupation, including settlement activities in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967. The mentioned parties reiterate that Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territory and affirm that this unilateral Israeli action has no legal effect and cannot change the legal status of the occupied Palestinian territory, particularly East Jerusalem, which remains an integral part of that territory. They also emphasize that such Israeli measures will only fuel the growing tension in the region, exacerbated by the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and the resulting humanitarian catastrophe. These parties call on the international community, including the Security Council and all concerned parties, to assume their legal and moral responsibilities and take urgent action to halt illegal Israeli policies aimed at imposing a 'fait accompli' by force, undermining the chances of achieving a just and lasting peace, and eliminating the prospects for a two-state solution. The parties also renew their commitment to the two-state solution based on international legitimacy resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative, and the establishment of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state on the June 4, 1967, lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Al Jazeera
18 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Pro-Palestinian Lebanese fighter released from French prison after 40 years
France has released Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, a pro-Palestinian Lebanese fighter jailed since 1984, and put him on a flight to Beirut after he spent nearly four decades behind bars. Shortly before 3:40am (01:30 GMT) on Friday, a convoy of six vehicles with flashing lights was seen leaving the Lannemezan prison in southern France, according to journalists with the AFP news agency on the ground. A source confirmed the 74-year-old had been freed and later boarded a flight to Lebanon. Abdallah, who was convicted in 1987 for his role in the killings of United States military attache Charles Robert Ray and Israeli diplomat Yacov Barsimantov in Paris, had long been eligible for release. However, repeated applications were rejected, often due to pressure from the US, which was a civil party in Abdallah's case. Last month, the Paris Court of Appeal ruled in favour of his release, effective on Friday, on the condition that Abdallah leave French territory and never return. His lawyer, Jean-Louis Chalanset, told AFP that the former fighter appeared 'very happy' during their final visit 'even though he knows he is returning to the Middle East in an extremely tough context for Lebanese and Palestinian populations'. Abdallah, the founder of the now-defunct Lebanese Revolutionary Armed Factions, had declared during a recent visit by a lawmaker that he remained a 'militant with a struggle'. French police uncovered submachine guns and communication equipment in one of his flats at the time of his arrest. Abdallah has never expressed regret for his actions and has always insisted he is a 'fighter' who has battled for the rights of Palestinians and is not a 'criminal'. The Paris court described his behaviour in prison as irreproachable and said in November that he posed 'no serious risk in terms of committing new terrorism acts'. The appeals court cited the length of Abdallah's detention and his advanced age, calling his continued imprisonment 'disproportionate'. In France, inmates serving life sentences are typically released after less than 30 years. Abdallah's family said they would greet him at Beirut's airport before travelling to his hometown of Kobayat in northern Lebanon, where a reception has been planned.
