Over the course of more than 465 days of Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, Qatar has been at the forefront of the Arab and international diplomatic scene, harnessing its political and humanitarian capabilities in relentless efforts to halt the bloodshed of the people of Gaza and achieve a sustainable truce.
Qatar played a crucial role in historic mediation efforts, in collaboration with Egypt and the US, which led to the announcement of a ceasefire in Gaza and the exchange of prisoners and detainees on January 15.
Meanwhile, the firm positions of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani in supporting the Palestinian cause and condemning the aggression on Gaza were evident through his active participation in Arab, Islamic, and international summits and meetings held to discuss the situation in Gaza.
His Highness’ speeches reflected Qatar’s firm commitment to diplomatic efforts and strengthening joint Arab action to protect the rights of the Palestinian people, as well as rejecting any solutions that perpetuate the occupation or aim to reshape the geopolitical landscape of Gaza at the expense of its residents. This aligns with a strategic vision aimed at achieving sustainable solutions that guarantee security and stability in the region.
In the context of the emergency Arab summit scheduled to be held in Cairo, Egypt, today to discuss Palestinian developments, especially the situation in the Gaza Strip and the plan for its reconstruction, aspirations are increasing to coordinate Arab positions on the Palestinian cause and the future of the Gaza Strip and its residents.
This summit comes amid rapid regional and international developments, especially with the escalation of discussions about what has become known in the media as “the day after the war,” during which the Israeli occupation seeks to impose new realities, exploiting the destruction left behind by its aggression and genocide to reshape the geopolitical landscape in the Gaza Strip.
These moves raise legitimate concerns about the future of the people of Gaza, in light of attempts at forced displacement and plans aimed at changing the demographic composition of the Strip. This necessitates a unified Arab position that guarantees the protection of Palestinian rights and imposes a just and sustainable solution that ends their ongoing suffering.
In various international forums, Qatar has consistently affirmed, with unwavering faith, that it will spare no effort in protecting the brotherly Palestinian people from the crimes of ethnic cleansing by the Israeli occupation. It has stressed its strong commitment to remaining at the forefront of Arab, Islamic, and international efforts aimed at preventing the abolition of the Palestinian cause and the displacement of the people of the Gaza Strip from their lands and homes.
The speech delivered by His Highness the Amir at the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit, held on November 11, 2023, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, formed the cornerstone of subsequent Qatari positions amidst the intensification of aggression. His Highness strongly criticised the international double standards towards the Palestinian cause and denounced the silence of the international community regarding the Israeli occupation’s war crimes against the people of Gaza.
The Amir also stressed the need for collective action to take various measures against the occupation, ensure the protection of Palestinians, and guarantee the arrival of humanitarian aid without restrictions or conditions.
In his speech during the summit, the Amir stated that Qatar remains steadfast in its historical position of supporting the steadfastness of the brotherly Palestinian people and their just cause. He emphasised that the only sustainable solution to this issue is one that establishes the foundations of justice in accordance with the resolutions of international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative, a solution also advocated by the international community.
Following his participation in the summit, the Amir stated in a post on his official X account that the ongoing war crimes in Gaza require Islamic countries to take a firm stance and deterrent measures proportional to their collective weight and consistent with the positions and sentiments of Islamic peoples. He added that Israel’s reckless commitment of genocide harms not only Arab and Islamic national security but also the national security of other countries.
In his speech during the inauguration of the 44th Session of the GCC Supreme Council, held on December 5, 2023, in Doha, the Amir highlighted the tragic conditions that the Palestinian people endure, especially in the Gaza Strip.
His Highness the Amir stressed that the summit convened against the backdrop of an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and that what is happening in Palestine is a crime against humanity. He added that it is disgraceful for the international community to allow this heinous crime to continue.
The Amir also called on the UN to conduct an international investigation into the massacres committed by the Israeli occupation authorities against the Palestinian people. He demanded that the Security Council assume its legal responsibility and compel Israel to return to credible negotiations to achieve a just solution to the Palestinian issue in accordance with the resolutions of international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative through the two-state solution.
The Amir added that the challenge does not lie in resolving the Gaza issue as if it were a separate matter or merely an Israeli security concern requiring security arrangements that subjugate the Gaza Strip. Rather, the real challenge lies in ending the occupation and resolving the Palestinian issue as a whole.
His Highness the Amir’s efforts extend beyond the Arab and Gulf spheres to the international arena. In his UNGA 79 speech, he emphasised that the “blatant aggression against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip today is the most barbaric, heinous, and extensive violation of human values, international charters, and norms.”
His Highness said: “This is not a war in the well-known and commonly understood concept of war within international relations. Rather, it is a crime of genocide using the most sophisticated weapons against a besieged people trapped in a detention camp, where there is no escape from the barrage of aerial bombing.”
“There are those who are tempted by the possibility of either marginalising this issue to rid themselves of its burden or seeing it vanish without resolution. However, the Palestinian cause is resistant to marginalisation because it is an issue of an indigenous people on their own land, subjected to settler-colonial occupation.”
“The continuation of the humanitarian tragedy of the brotherly Palestinian people for more than seven and a half decades is a shameful stain on the conscience of the international community and its institutions. There is no point in talking about security, peace, and stability in the Middle East and the world unless concrete steps are taken to achieve an immediate ceasefire and an end to the Israeli occupation of all Arab territories.”
Continuing his unwavering support for the Palestinian cause, His Highness reaffirmed Qatar’s stance in backing Palestinian rights and alleviating the suffering of the people of Gaza in his speech at the opening of the 3rd Asian Co-operation Dialogue (ACD) Summit, held in Doha in October 2024.
The Amir’s speech extended his clear positions expressed at the UN, where he emphasised that the Israeli occupation is committing crimes of genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza, exploiting the international community’s inaction and disregard for its ongoing violations while turning the Gaza Strip into an area unfit for human habitation in preparation for displacement.
His Highness underlined that the Israeli aggression was not limited to the Gaza Strip but also extended to Lebanon, where Israeli military attacks escalated, leaving hundreds of innocent victims and displacing over a million citizens in a stark violation of international law.
His Highness clarified that Israel is exploiting international impotence to entrench the occupation by expanding settlements in the West Bank, paving the way for its annexation or at least the annexation of parts of it. This necessitates urgent international action to halt these plans.
These Qatari positions send a clear message to the world: security and stability will only be achieved through a just and comprehensive peace, leading to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative. The Amir affirmed that Qatar will remain a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause and will reject any attempts to undermine its just resolution.
The Amir has spared no effort in continuing his diplomatic endeavours to defend the Palestinian cause. He participated in the extraordinary Arab-Islamic Summit held in Riyadh in November 2024, dedicated to discussing ways to stop Israeli aggression on Gaza and Lebanon.
He also condemned attempts to target the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and undermine its humanitarian role, stressing that Qatar has increased its contribution to the agency’s funding to $100mn, reflecting its continued commitment to supporting the Palestinians.
His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani at the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit held in Riyadh recently.
