The ongoing tension in the occupied Palestinian territories seems to develop further unrest as the Israeli police stepped up security measures against the Palestinians in different parts of the West Bank and Gaza, particularly around the old city and Palestinian neighbourhoods.
The tension has been higher than usual during the holy month of Ramadan where hundreds of Palestinians have been injured during night clashes. Tensions and skirmishes are being fuelled by Israeli Jewish far-right groups provocatively marching in Palestinian neighbourhoods and attacking Muslim worshippers at Al Aqsa Mosque compound and harassing Palestinians and chanting “death to Arabs”.
Such rhetoric of extremist chanting, hateful and violent slogans backed with dozens of armed police, including officers on horseback, are deliberate acts of aggression targeting the Palestinians during this blessed month of Ramadan.
The State of Qatar called, in a statement delivered during UN Security Council Open Debate on the situation in the Middle East for joint works to reduce tensions and end crises in the Middle East, for a fair, comprehensive, and permanent settlement of the Palestinian issue. The statement was presented by H E Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al Thani, Permanent Representative of Qatar to the United Nations.
In the statement, Qatar reiterated support of all international efforts aiming to make a real progress in settling the Middle-East’s permanent issue. In the statement, she stressed the need for continued attention from the UN Security Council and the solidarity of the international community with the Palestinian people until they obtain their full rights, there is an end to their sufferings, and creation of favourable conditions for the peace process.
The solution cannot be reached without commitment to a two-state solution based on international law and UN resolutions to establish a Palestinian state on the borders of 1967 with East Al Quds as its capital.
The State of Qatar believes that reaching a fair, comprehensive, and permanent settlement of the Palestinian issue serves the interests of Palestinians and Israelis together and helps in enhancing the peace and stability in the region.
Qatar is also committed to its duty toward the brotherly Palestinian people besieged in the Gaza Strip, for which it has allocated hundreds of millions of dollars to pay the salaries of employees, provide financial aid to the needy families, and operate power stations to reduce sufferings of the people. As a major donor to UNRWA, Qatar’s donations have reached $1.5bn of aid to meet emergency and developmental needs, and develop the infrastructure over the past eight years.
