Qatar, Saudi Arabia Call For Ceasefire In Gaza Strip

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) DOHA, Dec 5 (KUNA) -- Qatar and Saudi Arabia called Tuesday for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, expressing deep concerns over the humanitarian situation there.
This came in a statement after the conclusion of the Seventh Qatari-Saudi Coordination Council meeting which was held in Doha today under the co-chairmanship of the Qatari Amir sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and Saudi crown prince and Prime Minister Mohammad bin Salman.
They stressed the civilians in the Gaza Strip should be protected based on international law and humanitarian international law.
The two sides voiced concern about humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip, in light of the brutal crimes unfolding there which took the lives of thousands of defenseless civilians: from children, women and the elderly, and led to the obliteration of critical facilities, places of worship and infrastructure due to the flagrant assaults perpetrated by the Israeli occupation forces.
They affirmed the significance of the role that should be undertaken by the international community to put an end to the Israeli violations and ramping up pressure on Israel to stop its brutal attacks and the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza Strip which are considered a gross violation of the humanitarian international law and international laws.
In addition, the two sides emphasized the importance of empowering the humanitarian international organizations to discharge their role in providing humanitarian and relief assistance to the Palestinian people, including UN organizations, especially the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and supporting their efforts in this regard.
They stressed the importance of increasing efforts to attain a comprehensive and just settlement for the Palestinian cause based on the two-state solution, Arab peace initiative and relevant international legitimacy resolutions to ensure that the Palestinian people regain their rights in establishing their independent state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The Qatari side praised Saudi Arabia's hosting of the extraordinary joint Arab-Islamic summit and the resolutions the summit produced which primarily helped yield a unified collective stance of the Arab and Islamic countries towards the incidents ongoing in Palestine, hailing the Saudi-led efforts in implementing the summit's resolutions to further crystalize an international action to halt the aggression on Gaza.
The Saudi side lauded the unwavering efforts exerted by the State of Qatar, including the successful mediation that produced the humanitarian pause deal in Gaza to deliver humanitarian and relief assistance, fuel to meet the humanitarian needs of Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and release detainees, as well as its continued endeavor to reach a comprehensive ceasefire, and an agreement on the evacuation of holders of foreign passports and some injured civilians from the Gaza Strip.
Regarding the Yemeni issue, the two sides stressed the importance of fully supporting international and regional efforts to reach a comprehensive political solution to the Yemeni crisis, and appreciated the international efforts to strengthen commitment to the truce.
They underlined the significance of engagement of all concerned parties positively with international and international efforts to end the Yemeni crisis and seriously handle peace initiatives and efforts, in accordance with the outcomes of the Comprehensive National Dialogue Conference and UN Security Council Resolution No. (2216).
The Qatari side praised the Kingdom's efforts and its numerous initiatives aimed at encouraging dialogue and reconciliation among the Yemeni parties, along with its role in providing and facilitating the delivery of humanitarian assistance to all regions of Yemen, the financial support Saudi Arabia provides to address the difficult financial conditions facing the Yemeni government, and the development projects provided by the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen (SDRPY).
Regarding the developments in Sudan, the two sides stressed the importance of the commitment of both parties to the conflict in Sudan to a ceasefire, and to build on the Jeddah Declaration of Commitment to Protect Civilians of Sudan signed on May 11, 2023, and the humanitarian arrangements within the framework of international humanitarian law signed on May 20, 2023, in order to end the ongoing conflict in Sudan and return to political dialogue between all parties.
The two sides welcomed the progress achieved in the second Jeddah talks on Nov. 7, 2023, which contributed to the resumption of dialogue between the two sides of the conflict to reach a commitment to take steps to facilitate an increase in humanitarian aid and implement confidence-building measures, in preparation for reaching a permanent cessation of the conflict and alleviating the suffering of the Sudanese people.
On the Syrian issue, the two sides renewed the call for finding a just and comprehensive solution to the Syrian crisis that ends all its repercussions and contributes to the safe voluntary return of Syrian refugees to their country and the preservation of the unity and territorial integrity of Syria.
They also expressed their aspiration that the Syrian government will take serious steps to address the roots of this crisis, in a way that supports the stability of the Syrian Arab Republic and the unity and integrity of its territories.
The Qatari side welcomed the agreement between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran to resume bilateral diplomatic relations, expressing its hope that this step will contribute to enhancing security and stability in the region, in a way that preserves the sovereignty of countries and non-interference in their internal affairs.
The two sides also called on the Islamic Republic of Iran to fully cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency regarding the peacefulness of its nuclear program, stressing the importance that any agreement would contribute to establishing comprehensive negotiations in which the countries of the region participate, in a way that contributes to achieving regional and international security and stability. (end)
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