Shura Council Speaker condemns Israeli attack on Gaza, affirms Qatar's support to Palestinians

Shura Council Speaker HE Hassan bin Abdullah al-Ghanim has condemned the audacious and ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.He emphasised Qatar's commitment to supporting the Palestinian people through continuous humanitarian aid.This statement was made during his address while leading the Shura Council delegation at the 35th emergency conference of the Arab Parliamentary Union, held Wednesday in Baghdad.He said that the aggression suffered by Gaza and Palestinians by the Israeli occupation forces disregards all humanitarian laws and international norms, especially laws protecting children, women, and civilians during times of war.He also said that the Israeli authorities arm themselves and become more powerful due to the world's alarming lack of response.He added that this silence has effectively transformed into backing for the occupiers, all under the guise of self-defence, enabling them to intensify their unlawful actions, which include targeting innocent civilians, demolishing homes with people still inside, devastating farmland and future generations, all while causing the deaths of children, women, and the elderly.Al-Ghanim warned that the Israeli aggression on Gaza, which has claimed the lives of thousands, including hundreds of children, and turned wide areas of Gaza into rubble, is not merely a war but undoubtedly a comprehensive genocide and internationally prohibited forced displacement. He added that the occupation forces committed a massacre last night at the Al Ahli Baptist hospital, which claimed the lives of 500 people in addition to hundreds of injured.He pointed out that this criminal behaviour, blatant disregard for humanity, and cold-blooded killing are not beyond this audacious entity, which targets the displaced from their homes, those searching for a safe haven.HE the Speaker called on the meeting to take a resolute parliamentary stance, free from emotional rhetoric and impulsive positions, expressing appreciation for the response of the Arab Parliamentary Union councils in convening this conference in support of our people in Palestine.In the same context, HE al- Ghanim addressed the active diplomatic efforts taking place in Doha. He called for urgent international action to stop the fighting, reduce escalation, protect civilians, respect international law and international legitimacy resolutions, and acknowledge the historical rights of the Palestinian people, especially their right to establish an independent state based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital within the framework of a two-state solution.He also emphasised that the perilous increase in tensions driven by the radical governing authority has consistently been cause for alarm, noting that the increasing violation of the sanctity Al Aqsa Mosque was a major source of outrage for billions of Muslims. He also made it clear that this intensifying aggression and growing hostility could result in a new war spreading across the entire region.His Excellency condemned the ongoing Israeli provocations and criticized the international community's silence, emphasizing that such silence encouraged the occupation to commit crimes against the Palestinian people.He added that the situation has worsened due to the recent escalation in the occupied territories, highlighting that major world powers not only remained silent in the face of grave violations committed by the occupying army, but some have openly supported and endorsed this aggressive occupation.He criticised the biased media coverage by Western media outlets, their adoption of the Israeli narrative, and their promotion of unverified falsehoods and claims. He pointed out that this bias revealed their ugly and racist face against Arabs and Muslims, dispelling their claims of neutrality and revealing their true nature.In conclusion, His Excellency emphasised the necessity of supporting the resilience of the Palestinian people and providing assistance in the face of this brutal aggression. He urged for the quick mobilization of support through diplomatic, humanitarian, and parliamentary means.His Excellency expressed his hope that the conference would result in a practical plan for implementation through the mechanisms of the Arab Parliamentary Union and its conferences.He called for collective efforts to push the International Parliamentary Union to condemn the aggression on Gaza in its upcoming general assembly, and to urge the international community and relevant organisations to take urgent action to stop the atrocities happening before the eyes of the world.