Qatar has stressed the need for the UN General Assembly to shoulder its responsibility in accordance with the UN Charter towards the Palestinian cause, calling for support for the two draft resolutions that will be submitted to the General Assembly for adoption on December 11, which reflect common humanitarian values and obligations, and are consistent with the purposes of the Charter.

This also meets the requirements of maintaining international peace and security, as their adoption represents the minimum duty to respond to the suffering of Palestinian victims.

This came in the statement delivered by HE Qatar’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif al-Thani, before the 10th Emergency Special Session of the General Assembly, item five of the agenda — illegal Israeli actions in occupied East Jerusalem and the rest of the occupied Palestinian territories, at the UN headquarters in New York.

HE Sheikha Alya explained that the first draft resolution calls for an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire to which all parties are committed, while the second draft calls for supporting the mandate of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in light of the existential crisis it is suffering from, especially since it represents an indispensable lifeline for the Palestinian people.

She stressed the need to support the mandate granted to the agency in accordance with UN resolutions.

HE Sheikha Alya noted that unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip has worsened due to the ongoing Israeli aggression for more than a year, which extended to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, pointing to the escalation of repeated Israeli attacks on the Palestinians, which increased the number of victims to more than 44,000, in addition to other violations in the occupied Palestinian territories, including the violation of religious sanctities and the expansion of settlements, which constitute a flagrant violation of international law, General Assembly resolutions, relevant Security Council resolutions, in addition to the interim orders of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and its advisory opinion issued last July.

She indicated that there is an urgent need today to provide, introduce and distribute humanitarian assistance on a large scale throughout the Gaza Strip, in order to respond effectively to this humanitarian catastrophe, adding that Qatar welcomes the results and recommendations of the Cairo Ministerial Conference on Humanitarian Aid to Gaza, which was held on December 2, 2024, within the framework of unifying efforts to provide and deliver sufficient and continuous humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip, to alleviate the suffering of our Palestinian brothers.

HE Sheikha Alya pointed out that since the beginning of the aggression on the Gaza Strip, Qatar has sought to make sincere mediation efforts in partnership with Egypt and the US with the aim of putting an end to the ongoing violence and the human suffering it entails for all parties, in addition to preventing the spread of repercussions to the region. The success of these diplomatic efforts were also noted in reaching a humanitarian truce and ceasefire in November of last year, through which prisoners and detainees were exchanged and the level of humanitarian aid was increased.
She said that during the recent attempts to reach an agreement, Qatar informed the parties last month that it would suspend its mediation efforts if an agreement was not reached between Israel and Hamas during that round, and that it remains ready to resume those efforts with partners when the necessary seriousness is available.

She reiterated, before the session, Qatar’s firm and historical position in support of the steadfastness of the brotherly Palestinian people and their just cause in accordance with the resolutions of international legitimacy and within the framework of the Arab Peace Initiative that guarantees the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

With regard to the Israeli escalation in brotherly Lebanon, she voiced Qatar’s welcome of the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon, expressing hope that it will lead to a similar agreement to stop the ongoing war on the Gaza Strip and the Israeli attacks on the occupied West Bank.

She added that Qatar expresses its aspiration for all parties to adhere to the agreement and immediately stop military operations, and fully implement Security Council Resolution 1701, and that this agreement will pave the way for a more comprehensive consensus that achieves lasting peace and complete stability in the region.

She stressed that Qatar renews its firm position towards Lebanon, its unity and territorial integrity, and its continued support for its brotherly people, and expresses appreciation for the efforts of the US and France that contributed to reaching this agreement.