Geneva:The State of Qatar has affirmed that the ongoing Israeli occupation and related actions, such as illegal settlement expansion and attempts to forcibly displace Palestinians, constitute grave violations of international law. Qatar also highlights Israeli attacks on Syria and Lebanon as further breaches.
According to Qatar News Agency, this statement was made by Dr. Hend Abdulrahman Al Muftah, Qatar's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva, during a general debate on the human rights situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories at the Human Rights Council's 63rd session.
Dr. Al Muftah reiterated Qatar's strong condemnation of Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, which target civilians and infrastructure and exacerbate the humanitarian suffering of Palestinians. She also condemned the incursions into the Al Aqsa Mosque and attempts to alter the character of occupied East Jerusalem.
She criticized Israel's refusal to implement the comprehensive plan to end the conflict in Gaza, endorsed by Security Council Resolution 2803, labeling it a direct challenge to international efforts for a just and lasting peace. This, she noted, undermines the two-state solution and the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Dr. Al Muftah called on the international community to take responsibility in ending the Israeli occupation, ensuring accountability for crimes against Palestinians, and stopping support that contributes to illegal Israeli settlement expansion.
She welcomed measures by some countries, such as trade restrictions on goods from settlements, and urged for their expansion to prevent support for illegal activities and ensure state responsibilities are met.