An official source at Qatar's Ministry of the Foreign Affairs has stressed that the ministry is following with great concern media reports that talked about the use of Israeli companies and their technologies by high-level government bodies and personalities in the United Arab Emirates to spy on states and personalities, including Qatari government figures by hacking their mobile phones.
The spying continued for many years.In a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA), the source said that it is clear from the reports that the evidences were attached to judicial files and that this reveals that the problem facing those in charge of Abu Dhabi's foreign policy is deep and old.
It also raises a number of questions about the root of the current Gulf crisis and how long it took those who fabricated this crisis to plan and tear apart the bonds of co-operation and fraternity at a time when the people of the Gulf look forward to more integration.
The source added the current Gulf crisis was ignited by an electronic terrorism and hacking of the website of the Qatar News Agency.
Today, these media reports indicate that the series of violations predated the hacking crime and it seemed to continue, the source said.
The source stressed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' condemnation for any attempts to encroach on the privacy of individuals and violate the sovereignty of states by trying to spy on their officials, adding it also calls on developers of such technologies to demonstrate minimal values and ethics and adhere to international laws and customs.
He said that the State of Qatar calls on the international community to legally regulate the field of digital security as it should not remain a hotbed of espionage crimes and violation of privacy without deterrence or international sanctions.
