‘ISRAEL’S war on Gaza has turned into a war of extermination’, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said as he welcomed leaders to the summit of Arab and Islamic countries in the capital, Doha yesterday.
The emergency summit was being held after Israel’s ‘major aggression’ last Tuesday that targeted Hamas leaders in Qatar, where citizens and residents were taken by a ‘surprise attack that went against the sovereignty of a state and was a violation of international law’ and a ‘cowardly aggression’.
‘Hamas were to focus on a paper prepared by America. Have you ever heard of such an aggression? A state that is working in a consistent manner for negotiations, a state that is party to the negotiations and yet aggresses the venue where the negotiations take place?’ said Al Thani.
‘If Israel wishes to assassinate the Hamas leaders, why then engage in negotiations? If you wish to insist on the liberation of hostages, why then do they assassinate all negotiators?
‘How can we host in our country negotiating delegations from Israel while they send drones and planes for an air raid against our country? There is no need for questions. This is just cowardly aggression, and there is no room to deal with such a party.’
The emir said Qatar is a mediating country putting in ‘efforts to put an end to this devastating war waged against the Palestinian people in Gaza that has turned into a genocide’.
He continued: ‘The negotiations between Israel and Hamas were about to reach an achievement with the help of the sisterly country of Egypt and the United States of America. This has resulted in the liberation of many hostages. Israel continues its intransigence and insistence on continuing the war.
‘Israeli aggression is blatant, treacherous, cowardly and Israel’s war on Gaza has turned into a war of extermination,’ Qatar’s emir said.
Hissein Brahim Taha, secretary-general of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) called for the Arab and Islamic states present to take ‘firm decisions’ against Israel and for the United Nations Security Council ‘to assume its responsibilities and hold Israel accountable for its crimes’.
Ahmed Aboul Gheit, secretary-general of the League of Arab States, said the summit in Doha sends a message to the international community of standing up to Israel. ‘The message says enough silence to the acts of thuggery by this rogue state, which has been wreaking havoc, destruction, killing and starvation within the region.
‘Second, silence to criminality is per se a crime. Silence to the violation of international law undermines the international system.’
Such silence, Gheit said, has emboldened the Israeli army to feel that ‘each and every act is possible and any crime can go unpunished. That’s why they continue to spread destruction from one country to another, ignite the entire region as if the entire world has passed back into the ages of darkness and barbarism.’
Jordan’s King Abdullah II said the attack on Doha is ‘living proof’ that the threat of Israel is ‘without limits’. ‘Our response must be clear, decisive and above all deterring,’ he said.
Egypt’s President el-Sisi said: ‘Let me make it clear. This belligerence reflects clearly that Israeli practices have gone beyond diplomatic and military logic. They have crossed all red lines. We strongly condemn Israeli belligerence on Qatar.’