Ministry reaffirms Qatar's commitment to sparing children from ravages of war

The Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), Dr Majed bin Mohamed al-Ansari, has reaffirmed Qatar's commitment to sparing children from the horrors of war, regardless of their religious or ethnic backgrounds, and emphasised the necessity for the international community to consider the situation in Gaza from this perspective.During the Foreign Ministry's weekly media briefing, Dr al-Ansari highlighted that the number of children dying in Gaza exceeds that of any conflict in past decades.He stressed the need for international co-operation to understand the suffering resulting from this prolonged conflict and the daily tragedies they endure.Dr al-Ansari added that there is a generation of orphans suffering from the consequences of this war, and said that they must be cared for and spared the scourge of this humanitarian catastrophe and its aftermath.He pointed to a prevailing sense of frustration, not only among mediators but also across the international community, due to the failure to reach an agreement during Ramadan or Eid al-Fitr to alleviate the suffering of Palestinian brethren.Dr al-Ansari said that Qatar is currently reassessing this phase of mediation efforts and has expressed displeasure on several occasions regarding continuous and fabricated attacks on mediators, especially Doha, despite its commitment to play a significant role in achieving a positive outcome that halts the war machine.He highlighted Qatar's success in brokering a seven-day ceasefire, during which prisoners were exchanged between the Palestinian and Israeli sides.The official reiterated that Qatar’s diplomatic efforts continue through Gulf, Arab, and United Nations platforms, and said that HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani will meet the Greek foreign minister Wednesday.Dr al-Ansari added that HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs will meet his Armenian counterpart on Sunday, and lead the Qatar delegation participating in the World Economic Forum Special Meeting on Global Collaboration, Growth and Energy for Development, scheduled to take place in Riyadh on the same day.The official added that Qatar will host the third edition of the Arab Economic and Co-operation Forum with the countries of Central Asia and Azerbaijan on Monday, where the minister will deliver the opening speech, in addition to holding meetings with top officials the same day.Dr al-Ansari emphasised that all these diplomatic activities and ongoing efforts are aimed at deescalating tensions in the region and end the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.He also expressed dismay at statements made by Israeli officials and ministers regarding Qatar's role in the negotiations, saying that they are fabricating lies for political purposes.Dr al-Ansari called for the cessation of these statements, which distort reality and do not reflect commitment and seriousness in reaching a peaceful agreement and ending the conflict.He pointed out that Qatar's mediation efforts that have yielded positive results on numerous occasions, leading to the return of 109 individuals to their families and halting the war multiple times.Regarding the possibility of a military operation in Rafah, Dr al-Ansari said that any Israeli attack under the current situation in Rafah is entirely unacceptable amidst the ongoing humanitarian crisis.He stressed the importance of halting the anticipated attack on Rafah and compelling the Israeli side to adhere to the decisions of the International Court of Justice, the United Nations General Assembly, and the Security Council.Dr al-Ansari affirmed Qatar's ongoing humanitarian commitment, with continuous airlifts and aid efforts, and diplomatic endeavours through the Gulf, Arab, and United Nations platforms.He highlighted the arrival of 20 Russian and Ukrainian families, including 37 children, in Doha under a comprehensive programme aimed at providing healthcare and comprehensive support to these families and their children, as part of Qatar's ongoing mediation efforts to reunite families displaced by the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.Doha will host these families from April 18-27.