Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said Sunday morning at the opening of the Doha Forum in Qatar that the United States should also be held responsible for Israeli attacks on Gaza and the loss of Palestinian lives.
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"The American veto in the Security Council has allowed the occupation to carry out more massacres. Israel must be punished if it continues to violate international law," Shtayyeh said.
"Israel as the occupying power is responsible for the supply of electricity, water and humanitarian supplies in Gaza and the International Criminal Court fails to achieve justice for the Palestinians. Hamas is an essential part of the Palestinian political map. Israel's talk of eliminating Hamas will not happen and are not acceptable to us," he added.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, prime minister of Qatar and also minister of Foreign Affairs, said that "what is happening in Gaza is an unprecedented humanitarian disaster and raises questions about the international system and the effectiveness of its tools. The global system allows the continuation of the conflict."
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Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, prime minister of Qatar and also minister of Foreign Affairs, in Doha
(Photo: KARIM JAAFAR / AFP)
"Efforts continue to try to reach a cease-fire. The release of the hostages from Gaza It was the result of negotiations and not because of the Israeli military activity. We are obliged to work for the release of the hostages, but we also want a cease-fire and an end to the attacks on civilians in Gaza. Qatar continues to pressure Israel and Hamas to reach a cease-fire despite the shrinking of opportunities. There is a fear that an entire generation in the Middle East is at risk of becoming more radicalized because of the war in Gaza," Al Thani said.
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi said that Israel is implementing a "systemic policy' to push Gazans out of Gaza beyond simply eliminating Hamas.
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A resolution demanding a cease-fire in Gaza failed over the weekend in the UN Security Council
(Photo: TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP)
"Israel's policy aims to remove the residents of Gaza from the Strip. Israel violates international law and commits war crimes, and the world stands helpless in the face of the situation. What is happening in Gaza cannot continue. The situation threatens the entire region," Safadi said, adding that Israel has created an "amount of hatred" that will "haunt the region for generations to come."
At the same time, Philippe Lazzarini, director of UNRWA, the United Nations' Palestinian refugee agency, said at the forum that the "dehumanization of Palestinians has allowed the international community to bear continued Israeli attacks in Gaza." He added that the refugee agency is "on the verge of collapsing" in Gaza, adding that an immediate cease-fire is needed to end "hell on earth" in Gaza.