(MENAFN- Gulf Times) HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani participated on Monday in the plenary session of the High-Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, held in the UN General Assembly Hall in New York.
In Qatar's statement to the plenary session, HE Sheikh Mohammed said that the conference is being held at a critical moment for the region amid a war waged by Israel on the Gaza Strip and a worsening humanitarian tragedy affecting more than 2mn people, mostly women and children.
In one of the most brutal and heartbreaking moments of this tragedy, he said, we witnessed scenes that are a disgrace to all of humanity – hungry civilians, exhausted by the blockade, getting killed while standing in line waiting for a loaf of bread, a bag of flour, or a meal to feed their children.
“What future can be built on the bodies of the starving,” HE Sheikh Mohammed asked.“And what peace can emerge in the midst of such hunger, humiliation, and killing?”
He said that, in the face of this catastrophic situation, Qatar has not hesitated to exert all its diplomatic efforts to stop the bloodshed of innocents, alleviate their suffering, and release prisoners and detainees.
HE Sheikh Mohammed said that Qatar, based on its firm position, condemns all forms of targeting civilians.
Qatar“categorically rejects double standards. A human being is a human being, and a child is a child”.
“None of us has the right to discriminate between innocents and their right to life on political or other grounds,” HE Sheikh Mohammed stressed.“The situation has reached the point of normalising the use of starvation and targeting hospitals as a method of war, setting precedents that we cannot accept, otherwise it will become a normal practice in every conflict from now on.”
He reiterated Qatar's categorical rejection of the use of food as a tool of pressure or a weapon in conflicts, and its condemnation in the strongest terms of the blockade and forced displacement policies practiced against innocent civilians, as well as the repeated targeting of hospitals, displacement centres, and vital facilities, in flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.
HE Sheikh Mohammed noted that the mediation efforts undertaken by Qatar, in partnership with Egypt and the US, have yielded tangible results, represented by the entry of large quantities of aid and the release of hundreds of prisoners and detainees on both sides.
HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs affirmed that, despite recurring obstacles and attempts to undermine the humanitarian track, efforts are ongoing to reach an immediate ceasefire, setting the stage to ending the crisis and launching recovery and reconstruction efforts.
He stressed that this requires all parties to act responsibly and support mediation efforts.
HE Sheikh Mohammed emphasised that the war against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip has not only caused unprecedented suffering for innocent civilians but has also undermined the credibility of international law and the universal values upon which the international community's institutions were founded after World War II.
He added that it has also become clear that policies of force have failed and will continue to fail in eliminating the Palestinian cause.
All they have achieved, HE Sheikh Mohammed said, is to worsen the situation with more tragedy, bitterness, a sense of injustice, and horrific scenes of death and destruction that will remain etched in the memory of people around the world.
The horrors of this war and its political failure prove that there is no alternative to a just and comprehensive settlement of the Palestinian cause, he said, adding that the key lies in acknowledging the historical injustice suffered by the Palestinian people and applying long-overdue justice, delayed for nearly eighty years.
Qatar, based on its unwavering support for peace, affirms its full support for the objectives of this conference and its keenness to play an active role in ensuring its success and enhancing the chances of a peaceful solution in the Middle East, HE Sheikh Mohammed said, noting that Qatar co-chaired the conference's third working group, which is concerned with the topic of "Narratives of Peace”.
He said that this team addressed important topics and concluded with priority principles and proposals that contribute to the success of the conference's overall objective.
In order to create a conducive environment for achieving sustainable peace, HE Sheikh Mohammed continued, there is a need to promote positive narratives that support peace between the two sides, based on rejecting violence, renouncing inflammatory rhetoric, and confronting attempts to dehumanise the other side.
He reaffirmed Qatar's steadfast position in support of a peaceful resolution to the Palestinian cause, in accordance with international law, UN resolutions, and the two-state solution, being the only viable option to end the conflict and achieve a comprehensive and just peace.
He added that from this standpoint, Qatar calls for a clear and unified international stance that opposes all practices that obstruct negotiations and the chances of achieving a just and lasting peace.
In this context, HE Sheikh Mohammed welcomed the recognition of the State of Palestine within the borders of June 4, 1967, encompassing the West Bank and Gaza Strip by several countries, describing such recognition as a crucial step toward achieving both regional and international peace and stability.
He also reiterated Qatar's welcome of the French Republic's commitment to recognise the State of Palestine this September.
HE Sheikh Mohammed said that the conference represents a collective international will to move from words to actions, and to genuinely contribute to advancing the peaceful resolution of the Palestinian Cause in all its dimensions.
He added that the international community bears a key responsibility in creating the right conditions for a durable and just resolution, including restoring the relevance of international legitimacy following this devastating war, and providing the necessary political, economic, and humanitarian support.
He expressed Qatar's hope that this conference will mark a turning point, leading to tangible commitments that go beyond declarations and stances, and paving the way for concrete steps toward the implementation of the two-state solution, which would guarantee a just, comprehensive, and lasting resolution to the conflict as well as contributing to peace, security, and stability throughout the region.
At the beginning of his statement, HE Sheikh Mohammed expressed appreciation to French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, for their initiative in organising the conference under the auspices of the UN, addressing one of the oldest unresolved peace and security issues and one of the last vestiges of colonial injustice still on the international agenda.

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