Israel committing genocide, ethnic cleansing in Gaza: PM

HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani stressed that the situation in the Gaza Strip has deteriorated to worse levels a month after the outbreak of fighting in the occupied Palestinian territories, indicating that the Israeli occupation is committing genocidal practices and crimes of ethnic cleansing against the Palestinian people.In a press conference held Sunday with Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of the French Republic Catherine Colonna, HE Sheikh Mohamed said that their talks focused on all the political and humanitarian dimensions of this crisis. The talks also discussed Qatar’s priorities in continuing the efforts aimed at mediation through the release of hostages and the need for relief convoys and humanitarian aid to flow adequately and without interruption to the Palestinian brethren besieged in the Gaza Strip without food, water, or medicine.HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs added that during the talks, Qatar emphasized the necessity of resuming the provision of all basic needs for the civilians, including communications services, in addition to supplying health institutions with fuel, the depletion of which threatens to put more hospitals in the Strip out of service and threatens the lives of thousands of sick and wounded people.HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs pointed out that every day the Israeli occupation continues to commit genocidal practices and crimes of ethnic cleansing against the Palestinian people, 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 pointed out the indiscriminate intensified bombing that everyone witnessed over the past few days, especially in residential neighborhoods. HE the prime minister indicated that the occupation justified those bombings on suspicion of the presence of a leader there, making the cost of such targeting reach more than 400 persons in one neighbourhood. The international community’s reactions to those targeting were not at the required level and sometimes shameful, he said.HE the premier said that the continuation of these practices, despite the United Nations General Assembly resolution calling for an immediate, permanent, and sustainable humanitarian truce leading to the cessation of hostilities, undermines international efforts aimed at maintaining international peace and security. He indicated that those policies not only led to an escalation in violence but also contributed to the complexity of humanitarian and relief efforts that would alleviate the human suffering of our brethren in Gaza.HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs demanded that the international community assume its moral and legal responsibilities to put an end to the ongoing Israeli escalation, which is inconsistent with all human and moral values and the rules of international law, expressing his thanks and appreciation to the French Republic for its vote in favour of this resolution in the UN General Assembly, while many countries have failed the Palestinian people, either by voting against them or abstaining from voting.He indicated that the reactions to what is happening in Gaza did not live up to the scale of this humanitarian catastrophe as the international community continues to deal with this crisis with double standards, which has shaken the confidence of the peoples of the region in the international system.HE Sheikh Mohamed underscored Qatar's firm stance in condemning all forms of targeting civilians, regardless of their ethnic, religious, or national backgrounds, stressing the necessity of co-ordination with regional and international partners to reach an immediate and sustainable truce that leads to the halt of hostilities and the immediate flow of humanitarian aid without any obstacles.HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs pointed out that during this war, the world witnessed events without precedents in any other wars in the past decades by using humanitarian aid as a means of putting pressure on these besieged people and the inability of the international system to meet their needs, pointing out that the negotiations revolve around the number of trucks allowed to have access, and how to protect the employees of humanitarian institutions, who perform a humanitarian role.HE Sheikh Mohamed noted that various international institutions have stated that what is being used in this war is unprecedented, as many of their employees were exposed to high risks, while about 70 UN employees were killed during this war.His Excellency affirmed the continuation of Qatari mediation efforts regarding releasing hostages, although these efforts are at risk in light of the spread of false reports and leaks about the negotiations, in addition to the complexity of the field situation due to the practices of the Israeli occupation army. He stressed the determination of Qatar to exercise its efforts, based on its firm policy and humanitarian values, to release all civilian hostages and return them to their families and for the brothers in Gaza to enjoy security and safety, and for civilians to be protected from the war machine that has been brutalizing them since last month.