Sheikh Tamim says Qatar still aims to solve conflict through ‘dialogue, negotiations’

• Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani accused ‘Israel’ of expanding its military actions in Syria and the occupied West Bank, warning that the escalation threatens regional security.
• He described the situation in Gaza as “genocide in every sense of the word” and urged full implementation of the ceasefire agreement.

Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani condemned what he described as continued ‘Israeli’ attacks and territorial expansion in Syria and the occupied West Bank during his address to the United Nations General Assembly.

Sheikh Tamim said ‘Israel’ was carrying out “blatant attacks” against Syria and “occupying more Syrian territories,” which he said were being added to the Golan Heights, occupied since 1967.

He accused ‘Israel’ of acting as though it exercised “tutelage of the countries in the region,” saying its actions were based on its own assessment of political developments in neighboring states.

The Qatari emir also condemned the escalation in the occupied West Bank, citing what he described as “continued persecution, apartheid, and settler terrorism.”

He said denying Palestinians “their inalienable right to establish their independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital” had contributed to what he called “an open wound.”

Sheikh Tamim said ‘Israeli’ aggression had expanded beyond the occupied Palestinian territories to neighboring countries, “affecting the security of the region as a whole.”

Turning to Gaza, Sheikh Tamim said there could be no “just international order” while Palestine remained what he called “a blind spot” within it.

“What has transpired in Gaza is genocide in every sense of the word, and the stain of shame on the conscience of humanity as a whole,” he said.

He warned that future generations would be “astonished” by what he described as the gap between the scale of the catastrophe and the international response to halt it.

Sheikh Tamim said Qatar had done everything within its capacity to help end the bloodshed in Gaza and was continuing efforts to consolidate the ceasefire agreement and move toward lasting peace.

He called on ‘Israel’ to fully honor its commitments under the agreement, including a “definitive cessation of operations,” withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, lifting the blockade and ensuring the unconditional delivery of humanitarian assistance.

The Qatari emir also urged the international community to pressure the parties to implement the agreement, saying its enforcement should not depend on a party “accustomed to reneging on its commitments.”